AB InBev Group, Tanzania Breweries
After five years of dormancy, the Tanzania Breweries plant in Moshi has come back to life - thanks to a close partnership between AB InBev and Bühler. With the ambition to establish a fully local value chain from barley to beer, AB InBev selected Bühler’s innovative RimoMalt solution as the centerpiece of the plant’s revival.
To restart operations, the brewery required a flexible system that could adapt to regional harvest volumes. Bühler’s RimoMalt proved to be the ideal answer: a fully modular malting solution designed for efficient and sustainable production. The system supports a wide range of grains -including barley, wheat, rye, and others on request - and can be scaled to match future growth. It consists of three key modules: the steeping unit, heating unit, and a combined germination-kiln unit. All modules are designed for minimal water and energy usage, incorporating the latest malting technologies and heat recovery systems to reduce environmental impact. The steeping unit is insulated and enclosed, with easy access and integrated grain handling. RimoMalt arrives with a short lead time, and Bühler works closely with local contractors to ensure smooth installation and commissioning. With Bühler’s guidance, Tanzania Breweries was able to restart production quickly - beginning at a smaller capacity tailored to local barley availability, with the option to expand the system as the supply grows.
It is user friendly for us in terms of operation, but also it’s given us so far 35 good batches and we’ve been able to sell them to the different breweries because of this system
Khasmath Mzee,
Shift Supervisor, Tanzanian Breweries (ABI)
The relaunch of the Moshi plant has created employment across the value chain - from barley farmers and transporters to plant operators and technicians. The goal is to keep the entire process within Tanzania: barley is grown by local farmers, processed using Bühler’s grain handling technology, malted on-site, and supplied to nearby breweries to produce beer that is truly Tanzanian.
Bühler delivered an end-to-end solution, covering everything from grain intake and cleaning to the malting stages of steeping, germination, and kilning. The system is supported by Mercury MES, a modern automation platform that enables intuitive plant operation. Local staff were trained quickly and can now manage production confidently, with Bühler’s remote support always available when needed.
Since commissioning, the RimoMalt system has delivered consistent batch quality while also optimizing energy and water use - key priorities for long-term sustainability. In addition, its integrated safety features help protect both workers and product. Batches of malt have already been successfully processed and sold to local breweries, supporting the development of a resilient, local supply chain.
The success of this project reflects the strength of the partnership between AB InBev and Bühler. Their close collaboration has laid the foundation for future growth and further investments in local brewing capabilities in Tanzania.
We are looking forward to partner with Bühler in future project because of the collaboration we have in this current project and the teamwork we created during execution of this current project.
Mashaka Fandey,
Project Manager Tanzanian Breweries (ABI)
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
