Translations

ROQUETTE becomes involved in renewable energies (geothermal technology & biomass) at its site in Alsace

4. Environment

Energy / Greenhouse Gases (GHG)

Sector Food-processing

Year 2016

Country France

Transmitter

Context

Roquette is a French company present on 3 continents (21 production sites) that processes plant raw materials. Its starch-related activity is highly energy-consuming, with significant steam requirements. At its site in Alsace, the company is making progress in two projects focused on the production of thermal energy from renewable energies: geothermal technology and biomass.

With an industrial presence on 3 continents encompassing 21 production sites, the company consumed over 7,000 GWh (109 Wh) of natural gas in 2015. With these projects, the site should reduce its fossil energy dependency by a factor of 4.

Objectives

To cut down CO2 emissions by at least 75% (i.e. 110,000 T/annum)
To change the site’s energy balance
To diversify the type of energy used on-site
To cover more than 75% of the Beinheim site’s steam requirements

APPROACH

Biomass: At the end of 2011, the new wood biomass-fed boiler was commissioned at the Beinheim site (France). This boiler has a steam production capacity of 60 T/hr and consumes more than 150,000 tonnes of wood-energy per year, managed in a sustainable manner and produced locally, within a 100 km radius around the site. Power delivered is of 43 thermal MW. The facility provides more than 50% of the site’s steam requirements, each year saving 29,000 toe (tons of oil equivalent) in gas and avoiding the release of 75,000 tons of fossil CO2. Geothermal technology: Thanks to the geothermal potential of the “geological abnormality” of the Alsatian sub-soil, the plant will be able to replace part of the natural gas it uses to produce steam: the technology is based on the fracturing of hot rock. It should be noted that this 100 % geothermal technology project (i.e. dedicated to the production of super-heated water) is a world first.

Best Practice selected by the Lille World Forum in 2010 and updated in 2015 for its evolution.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

Image of a responsible business
Use of renewable energies
Reduction of the site's energy bill.

Benefits

The two projects combined should eventually lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions of nearly 75%
Biomas: supply: wood-based approved by the energy team appointed by the “Prefecture”