Case: Westfa, Germany
Repairs, upgrades, or new equipment installations are a necessary part of maintaining a healthy LPG business, but these actions also come with inconvenient downtime that you have to plan around. But what if you don’t need to have any downtime at all? Westfa in Germany found a way to keep their filling operations going, even as extensive modifications were underway, thanks to a mobile solution from MAKEEN Energy.
Westfa is one of the leading suppliers of LPG cylinders in Germany, with offices and sales locations all over the country. They are also a long-standing customer of MAKEEN Energy and FAS Flüssiggas-Anlagen GmbH (a part of MAKEEN Energy), as we have supplied them with equipment for their LPG filling operations for many years.
In September 2025, Westfa carried out maintenance and upgrade work at their filling facility in Detmold in north-western Germany. A key element of the project was the replacement of the automatic checkweighers with the new MPP (MAKEEN Product Programme) version to comply with current packaging requirements.
Under normal circumstances, such work would result in a production shutdown, leading to losses in output and revenue. But with a mobile filling plant from MAKEEN Energy, they managed to keep their operations going the entire time, minimising their losses.
A mini filling plant in a container
The mobile LPG filling plant comes installed in a standard 40-foot cargo container, equipped with the most modern MAKEEN Energy technology. It was designed and built at the facilities of FAS Flüsssiggas-Anlagen GmbH and includes 6 filling machines, a check scale, a leak detector, and an evacuation unit (all manual), connected by a roller conveyor. It’s fully equipped to process cylinders of 5 kg, 8 kg, and 11 kg.
Installation is straightforward. The container only needs a stable and level surface, such as concrete or gravel, a supply of LPG (from a road tanker or existing storage tanks), a 230 V power connection, and a supply of compressed air. Installation and inspection can be done in a few hours, after which production can commence.
This offers an easy way to keep the wheels turning in a business during pre-planned maintenance, unexpected breakdowns, installation of new machines – or just to keep up with higher demand during peak seasons.
Maximum support during downtime
The container solution was provided by FAS Flüssiggas-Anlagen GmbH for this phase of the project. The mobile unit remained on site for a total of four weeks, during which it filled approximately 7 tonnes of LPG per day, with peak outputs of around 10 tonnes in a single 8-hour shift.
Not only did this allow them to still have their production running while the main facility was being upgraded and maintained, but it also allowed their staff to gain hands-on experience with the latest MAKEEN Energy technology. The filling container was provided to Westfa as a trial. Since it has proved its value and effectiveness, it is now available for rent to other customers who may need a bit of extra capacity for a limited period of time.
The mobile filling plant enabled us to meet our supply commitments without interruption during a critical upgrade phase. Commissioning was fast, the system was reliable, and our team adapted to it immediately. It was an efficient and flexible solution that exceeded our expectations.
