Mission 'renewable energy'

• As part of a wider renewable energy drive at Nestlé, French plant instals efficient biomass boiler
• Measure cuts CO2 emissions by 6 500 tonnes and energy bills by 40 % annually 

Specialising in the agri-food sector, the Nestlé Group is present in more than 130 countries and markets more than 10 000 products manufactured in nearly 449 industrial sites worldwide.

Nestlé set itself a target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 % (2011-2013) for its France-based projects by reducing fossil fuel use. For its part, the plant in Challerange looked into installing a biomass boiler to replace its oil-fired system.

A NextEnergies wood-fuelled boiler was selected with a capacity of 7 MW, which can produce 10 tonnes of steam per hour at 15-bar pressure. The biomass boiler is capable of covering 90 % of the site's heat needs, consuming 15 000 tonnes of wood per year. The wood supply is part of a strict set of contractual specifications between the wood supplier (ONF Energie) and the Challerange factory: 100 % PEFC-certified forest chips (sustainable forest management) supplied from within a perimeter of less than 100 km around the site.

Key results

It was the first plant in Nestlé Group's French operations to switch to biomass energy. The boiler reduces annual CO2 emissions at Challerange by 6 500 tonnes. The measure also reduces the company's energy bill by around 40 %.

Beyond its desire to develop renewable energies, Nestlé Group is convinced that the price of fossil fuels can only increase in years to come due to diminishing resources and rising operating costs. Wood, a renewable resource readily available near factories, is a real opportunity. As a result, plans to install more wood-fired boilers at Nestlé sites in France, and other projects, are under consideration.