OREANDA-NEWS. “Simba” in Swahili means “lion”. At the Lufthansa Group, however, it has an entirely different meaning. SIMBA* is a German acronym for an innovative software solution developed by LSG Sky Chefs to ensure the sustainability of the company's dishwashing operations at its catering facilities. The pilot project was launched in April 2010. Since then, at its Frankfurt base alone, the Group's specialist catering arm has reduced the amount of water used in the dishwashing process by 30 per cent and lowered energy consumption by 24 per cent, thanks to the energy management tool.

SIMBA is currently in use at 65 LSG Sky Chefs locations worldwide. Data is captured at as many as 16 points per dishwashing line and evaluated, and is then available in real time. If defined target values are exceeded, alarm signals are sent to the relevant service technician, thus enabling a immediate response to any deviations. Thanks to SIMBA, reductions in energy and water use are instantly apparent.

A very promising follow-up project was launched in September 2012. In the process, the highest energy consumers such as air conditioning and heating systems were connected to SIMBA and monitored. LSG Sky Chefs, the global market leader in airline catering expects this latest version of SIMBA to bring about a further, five per cent reduction in energy consumption in the long term.

LSG Sky Chefs developed the SIMBA software in-house. Alongside quality and innovation, sustainability is an important component of LSG Sky Chefs' corporate strategy. Catering - from preparing to delivering food - is an energy-intensive business. Improving process efficiency reduces costs and also helps to save the environment. In August 2012, LSG Sky Chefs received the “Fraport Energy Award” in the category “Highest Savings” for conserving resources.

LSG Sky Chefs produces more than 1.4 million meals a day and currently has a global market share of 29 per cent. One in four meals served worldwide by airlines comes from a catering facility operated by the Lufthansa Group subsidiary.