By: Ben Selier - Vice President, Secure Power, Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric

The food industry represents a huge portion of the global economy, expected to reach $9.68 trillion in 2025 and with CAGR of 6.42% (2025-2030).

It is an eye watering statistic which logically demonstrates its fundamental impact on the world’s economy.  Conversely, it also makes a case for the continuous and optimised operations, mitigating any potential loss to industry players and the customers alike.

And like its industrial peers across the globe, the food industry is completely reliant on power.  Moreover, due to its sheer size and nature of its operations, power interruption can be equally catastrophic on its bottom line.

To the victor go the spoils?

The food industry is by its very nature dependent on energy intensive processes like refrigeration, baking, and automated production.  Unplanned power outage can therefore result in spoilage, contamination, and significant financial losses and reputational damage. 

Unlike IT systems, where an outage may only result in temporary disruptions, a food plant’s OT systems face fundamental and far-reaching consequences in the event of power loss.  Restarting operations is not as simple as flipping a switch. 

For example, baking processes, which rely on precise temperature controls, can be ruined mid-cycle, resulting in costly product loss. Automated production lines, which require synchronised machinery, often take considerable time to recalibrate after an unexpected shutdown.

Indeed, in some cases, production may be halted for up to two weeks due to the time-consuming process of restarting complex food production lines.  This is also necessary to ensure compliance with stringent food safety regulations such as inspections, sanitation, and recalibration before production can resume. 

OT failure can also pose significant safety issues as these systems control physical processes such as machinery and power grids which, when compromised, can lead to dangerous circumstance such as equipment malfunctions, environmental hazards, or even risks to human life.

Additionally, power fluctuations can damage sensitive equipment, leading to further delays and increased maintenance costs. 

The UPS switchover

As one would expect, particularly in countries like South Africa that struggles with consistent and reliable power supply, renewable energy has become a viable option for the food industry.

The benefits are well-known and established, with many food manufacturing plant roofs now gleaming with solar panels to overcome power outages. However, the switchover from the grid to the renewable energy must be seamless.

Sensitive equipment like PLCs, which form the backbone of automation in the food manufacturing, is particularly susceptible to power fluctuations and switchover to renewables.  

Here, Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) bridge the gap between power outages and system stability. It provides immediate backup power, preventing sudden shutdowns and thus allowing production to continue seamlessly until alternative power sources take over/

UPS should form part of any food plant’s daily operations and offers important benefits such as:

• Seamless power transition, providing an immediate backup power supply, ensuring that operations continue without interruption while the switch to renewable energy sources such as solar or wind, is completed.
• Protection of equipment; sensitive industrial machinery and control systems are safeguarded from power surges, voltage fluctuations, and sudden outages, which could otherwise cause damage or downtime.
• Operational continuity - in industries where even a brief power disruption can lead to significant losses, UPSs maintain productivity, preventing costly delays.
• Data integrity which is particularly beneficial to those operations reliant on data-driven processes, ensuring critical data is not lost or corrupted during power transitions.
• Safety assurance - in environments with hazardous materials or automated processes, UPS help maintain safety protocols by keeping essential systems operational.