Ethylene application made easy: Catalytic Generators is revolutionizing fruit ripening

Managing fruit ripening has always been one of the most delicate stages in the fresh produce supply chain. Bringing bananas or other climacteric fruits to the ideal stage of ripeness at just the right time is both an art and a science.

Today, Catalytic Generators are proving to be a flexible and reliable solution for companies seeking efficiency and consistency in their ripening operations, ensuring fruit reaches its peak quality when it reaches the market.

Ethylene, a natural plant hormone, plays a central role in this process—but how it is delivered and controlled during the ripening process can make all the difference.

Simon Goisser is an expert on how this works in a real-world setting. He's the head of CSR and the Ripening Academy at Fruchtimport vanWylick, one of Germany’s largest and most experienced banana-ripening companies. They're positioned among the leading operators in Europe, with a capacity of over 230,000 boxes per week.

The fine art of balancing convention and flexibility

While traditional centralized gas supply systems remain widespread in Germany, many ripening facilities are increasingly turning to Catalytic Generators as an alternative.

These systems offer simplicity, operational safety, and consistent results—all without the complexity of piping or the high installation costs.

“To set up a centralized system with gas cylinders, you need to spend a lot upfront on installation, piping, and fittings. With generators, you simply need to purchase a few units, and after that, operation is straightforward,” Gossier notes.

“Ethylene application should not be complicated,” says Greg Akins, CEO of Catalytic Generators. 

And he's right, the Fruchtimport vanWylick executive says. The technology allows ripening operations to remain efficient and adaptable without excessive technical challenges.

However, these systems also serve as a dependable safeguard in the event of failures in other ripening setups.

“There have been situations where a valve in the centralized gas supply system failed, and by the next morning, the cylinders were practically empty," Goisser recalls. "That resulted in both time and financial losses, as customers expect deliveries to arrive precisely on schedule.”

He adds that if something like that happened with Catalytic Generators, "the worst-case scenario would be losing just no more than one or two litres of liquid.”

Catalytic Generators' at scale ripening

Some in the ripening industry assume that Catalytic Generators are suitable only for small projects.

However, as one of Germany’s largest banana ripening companies, Fruchtimport vanWylick GmbH demonstrates that alongside other ripening systems, this innovation can play a strategic role even at scale.

“The 'modular nature' of generators makes it much easier to expand capacity. If you start small, with just a few rooms, scaling up is straightforward," Goisser explains. "You can simply add more rooms and place additional units there. Expanding a centralized system, by contrast, is always more complicated and expensive because of the extra tubing and wiring.”

Akins also emphasizes the ample versatility of Catalytic Generators, noting that the system is suitable for use in small farms with limited ripening chambers, as well as the big warehouses of importers, distributors, and even large supermarket chains.

For example, retail giant Walmart utilizes over 800 generators across its distribution centers in North America and Mexico, demonstrating the system’s scalability and suitability for one of the world's largest retail chains. 

This global presence extends beyond North America. Retailers such as Coles and Woolworths in Australia have also adopted Catalytic Generators across multiple facilities, proving the technology’s reliability and efficiency on a worldwide scale.

*All images courtesy of Catalytic Generators

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