Translations Best practice in Spanish version Best practice in French version Best practice in English version

ROQUETTE produces biogas and in turn uses it for its starch activity

4. Environment

Energy / Greenhouse Gases (GHG)

Context

Roquette is a French company present on 3 continents (21 production sites) that processes plant raw materials. This activity is energy-consuming and Roquette wishes to position itself on renewable energies. At Vecquemont site (near Amiens, France), new sewage treatment facilities, with biogas production, were built following an increase in site capacity. The methane generated is used in the production of the steam used on the site.

Objectives

  • To transfer potato starch production from Vic to Vecquemont and, in this context, to increase the site’s production capacity.
  • To restructure Roquette’s potato starch production, required to ensure the continued existence of our activity and thus safeguard direct and indirect jobs.
  • The sewage treatment facilities must be adapted to the characteristics of the effluents (low flow, high load), while respecting the environment, and also rendering renewable energy (biogas) production possible.

APPROACH

Several studies were carried out in partnership with the ‘Agence de Bassin Artois-Picardie’ (Regional water agency)to choose the best technologies for sewage treatment. A grant from the ‘Agence de Bassin’ helped the investment since this latter has a positive effect on manure spreading and thus is in step with the preservation of the quality of the water tables concerned.

These sewage treatment facilities have been operational since August 2007 and process 60 T/D of COD and 4 T/D of nitrogen (capacity equivalent to a city of 600,000 inhabitants). The combustion of biogas makes it possible to produce about 15 % of the steam necessary for the Vecquemont site. 

The treatment plant is consistent with our expectations in terms of treatment and biogas production.

Best Practice noted by the 2010 Lille World Forum and updated in 2013 for its progress.
Best Practice awarded in 2009 by Réseau Alliances.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

  • 50 % increase in site capacity
  • Maintenance and development of activity thanks to good effluent management while respecting environmental standards
  • Company image

Benefits

  • Fossil fuel savings, reduced liquid effluent, water table preservation
  • Economic structuring of potato starch production in France: safeguarding of direct and indirect jobs in the industry concerned
Workforce
8000 (2015)
Turnover
3,3 Milliards € (2015)
Country
France

ROQUETTE

Rue de la Haute Loge
62136 Lestrem

www.roquette.fr

Contact

Anne LAMBIN, Responsable Développement Durable, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Marie-Gabrielle BAILLY, Chargée de mission Développement Durable, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mise à jour le 28/06/2016

Creative Commons Attribution This work by Réseau Alliances – World Forum Lille is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.