Before it reaches your cup, coffee goes through several essential stages. After being grown, hand-picked and processed in its country of origin, green coffee beans are roasted to develop the aromas, colours and characteristics that define each coffee.
Roasting is also one of the most energy-intensive stages of coffee production. Traditionally, industrial coffee roasters rely on the combustion of fossil fuels, particularly natural gas. At Café William, we chose to do things differently!
In Sherbrooke, Quebec, we operate the world’s first industrial coffee roaster powered entirely by electricity. Fueled by 100% hydroelectricity, it allows us to roast coffee at scale without relying on the combustion of fossil fuels.
Why Switch to Electric Coffee Roasting?
Roasting coffee requires precise control of heat. Temperatures must be carefully managed throughout the process to develop the desired flavours and achieve a consistent, even roast.
Because natural gas-powered equipment remains the industry standard, developing our electric roaster presented a real challenge. We wanted to take advantage of Quebec’s abundant hydroelectricity, but we also needed to find a solution capable of meeting the demands of industrial-scale production without compromising coffee quality.
This project became possible through a collaboration with Neuhaus Neotec, a German manufacturer specializing in coffee processing equipment. Together, we developed a fully electric industrial coffee roaster, which has been operating at our Sherbrooke facility since January 2024.
Industrial Capacity, Without Fossil Fuel Combustion
Switching to electricity did not mean reducing our production capacity. Our roaster can process up to 20 million pounds of coffee per year, allowing us to meet the demands of large-scale production.
The technology also gives us the level of control needed to consistently reproduce different roast profiles. Whether a coffee is light and delicate or darker and more intense, precise temperature control is essential to achieving consistent results from one batch to the next.
Up to 800 Tonnes of CO₂e Reduced Each Year
The biggest change brought by our electric roaster is the elimination of fossil fuel combustion associated with this stage of production. Thanks to this technology, Café William estimates that it reduces its emissions by approximately 800 tonnes of CO₂e per year.
When our facility opened in 2024, this reduction was estimated at approximately 730 tonnes of CO₂ per year. While our estimates have since evolved, the outcome remains the same: using hydroelectricity to power our roasting operations allows us to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of this stage of production.
A Commitment That Goes Beyond Roasting
Our electric roaster is part of a broader effort to rethink how we produce our coffee. Our Sherbrooke facility, which is LEED Silver certified, was designed to improve the energy efficiency of our operations and recover heat generated by our equipment to help heat the building.
This thinking also begins long before the beans arrive at our facility. We work with organic and fair trade coffee producers and cooperatives, while exploring lower-impact transportation solutions, including the use of sail-powered cargo ships to transport coffee.
We know that no single initiative can eliminate the environmental impact associated with coffee. By examining every stage of its journey and looking for solutions that are adapted to each one, however, we can continue to improve the way we do things—from where our coffee is grown to the moment it reaches your cup.
