Established in 1998, Alcosuisse is the profit centre of the Swiss Alcohol Board (SAB) and is a largely independent organizational unit responsible for the trade in high-grade alcohol and ethanol respectively. Alcosuisse is managed by means of target agreements, mandates and global budgets and operates according to private-sector principles.

Under its mandate, Alcosuisse is responsible for supplying the Swiss economy with ethanol at cost-covering prices. Therefore, Alcosuisse may cover its operating costs but is not permitted to make a profit. Denaturation ensures the market separation between ethanol used in industry and potable ethanol. Pure potable alcohol (100% vol.) is taxed at CHF 29.00 per litre.

Our main activities are the purchase, storage and sale of ethanol, denaturation and the preparation of various ethanol qualities with or without the use of denaturants.

Alcosuisse has 31 employees (business year 2011). Thirteen work at the head office in Bern, and nine each in the plants in Delémont (JU) and Schachen (LU). Our head office in Bern carries out all activities in the areas of purchasing and logistics, marketing and sales, technology and safety, and quality management.

Customer orders are collected by our office in Bern (which records the requested quality of ethanol, place of delivery and delivery date) and are forwarded on-line to the plants in Delémont and Schachen. There, the products are then filled by our competent employees into different containers and dispatched to customers in accordance with the requested quantities, delivery dates and other requirements.

With our extensive and efficient logistics and sales and marketing structure, we are able to cater for individual customers’ wishes. Our comprehensive range of services and our ability to meet the set deadlines allow our business partners to maintain a minimum stock and to conduct production planning according to the JIT (just in time) principle.

Our plants in Delémont and Schachen have a storage capacity of around 388'000 hectolitres of 100% ethanol. Approximately 100 tons of alcohol (including denaturants) are dispatched every day. Our preferred mode of transport is the railway. Over 85% of the ethanol sold is delivered to our customers in this way.

Our technical equipment and means of transport meet the stringent safety requirements for the handling of the dangerous product ethanol. As far as possible, Alcosuisse keeps abreast of state-of-the-art technological developments and the latest environmental standards.