SENIUS and EPP are providing bakeries full control over energy, quality and production stability

For today’s high‑volume bakeries, oven technology now plays as crucial a role as dough development and ingredient selection. As energy markets remain volatile and sustainability targets become more demanding, bakeries need heating systems that deliver quality, efficiency and more than ever, control.

Steve Merritt, Managing Director of European Process Plant Ltd (EPP), explains how dual‑fuel and hybrid heating technologies from SENIUS are helping bakeries navigate the UK’s energy challenges while maintaining the precision and consistency essential for modern production.

The energy price crisis: A fundamental shift in bakery operations

The energy crisis triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine created a fundamental turning point across the UK bakery sector. With gas costs losing their long‑standing stability and the gap between gas and electricity prices shifting unpredictably, this volatility left bakeries struggling to choose between gas or electric ovens when neither option could be relied upon.

Traditionally, specifying a single‑fuel oven was standard practice, but in today’s market it has become a significant financial risk. Bakeries now need the flexibility to adapt, not commit to a single energy source.

Dual‑fuel hybrid heating: A practical answer to an unpredictable market

SENIUS hybrid technology offers a solution to this dilemma by providing bakeries precise control over their energy use, enabling seamless switching between gas and electricity in response to changing prices, tariffs or renewable availability, without disrupting production or bake quality. By aligning consumption with off‑peak tariffs, maintaining output when one fuel is restricted and keeping chamber conditions stable during any transition.

SENIUS systems offer a level of flexibility that previously wasn’t possible. This strengthens energy security, allows bakeries to react instantly to market volatility and ensures consistent, high‑quality results while optimising operational costs. 

Alternative Heat Sources: What’s Possible with Direct‑Fired Ovens

Direct‑fired ovens have inherent constraints because their burners or elements sit inside the baking chamber, preventing gas and electric from operating together without affecting airflow and product consistency. For these systems, seasonal switching remains the most practical option, fitting electric elements when electricity is cheaper and reinstating gas burners when gas becomes more favourable. Although this requires planned downtime, the controls are always ready, making restart straightforward. While not offering real‑time flexibility, this approach still helps bakeries respond intelligently to changing energy markets.

Retrofitting and upgrading: A sensible pathway to lower emissions

One of the major advantages of SENIUS technology is its ability to retrofit hybrid capability into many existing ovens, including non‑SENIUS impingement models, giving bakeries a practical and cost‑effective pathway to lower emissions and improved energy flexibility.

By adding electric zones, modernising controls and upgrading key components, bakeries can significantly reduce their environmental impact and extend the life of their assets without the expense of replacing entire lines.

With more than 50 years of experience and hundreds of tunnel ovens installed across the UK and Ireland, EPP provides the engineering expertise and long‑term support needed to ensure these upgrades deliver reliable, high‑performing results. With many SENIUS ovens from decades past, still in operation today, a true testament to their build quality and durability.

Sustainability Without Compromise

As bakeries move toward net‑zero targets, a hybrid approach offers the ideal balance between performance and carbon reduction. Electric zones can be added where they deliver the greatest environmental benefit, while gas can be retained where it enhances product quality. This enables bakeries to electrify at their own pace rather than forcing an all‑or‑nothing investment.

With over 5 km of tunnel ovens supplied to the UK market, EPP combines unparalleled sector knowledge with SENIUS’ innovative hybrid technology to deliver resilient, adaptable and future‑proof baking solutions that meet both today’s pressures and tomorrow’s sustainability demands.

EPP can arrange product trials at the SENIUS test centre in Denmark, or work with a bakery to design hybrid layouts, belt options and energy strategies tailored to specific requirements.

To learn more or to book a demonstration, please visit www.eppltd.co.uk or contact the EPP team at sales@eppltd.co.uk.