Swiss plant goes CO2 neutral
Frutarom Health, Switzerland, has increased biogas electrical energy production at its plant in Wädenswill by 15 per cent.
The energy produced by biogas uses waste materials and is categorised as CO2-neutral. Frutarom was awarded in 2012 a certificate of CO2 reduction by the Swiss Energy Agency, recognizing the Wädenswil facility does not contribute to the rising amounts of CO2 affecting climate change through the greenhouse effect.
The biogas plant also received the Naturemade quality mark as a Naturemade Star, indicating “energy produced with special respect for the environment.” The Naturemade quality mark certifies energy from 100 per cent renewable sources, such as water, sun, biomass and wind.
New equipment, the latest technology of CHC (combined heat and power), was installed in Frutarom’s Swiss plant in September 2013, increasing the production of renewable electrical energy corresponding to 1,000,000 kWh/year. This amount of energy is equivalent to 100m3 of petrol. Electricity produced from biogas generates much less CO2 than conventional energy. An amount of 1 kW of electricity produced by biogas prevents 7,000 kg CO2 release per year. The total power, heat and electricity, produced by the biogas equipment is now 2,600,000 kWh per year.
“When established 15 years ago, the Wädenswil factory was one of the first industrial production sites to invest in biogas when this technology was not well known,” explained Holger Riemensperger, general manager of Frutarom Health. “Frutarom is committed to producing pure, high-quality products with minimal damage to the environment. We have initiated a long-term, sustainability strategy for all of our factories, and pick our suppliers very carefully.”
Organic waste contains energy that can be converted by fermentation with biogas equipment to produce heat and electricity. The fermentation process is entirely natural and takes up to 45 days. The equipment consists of two generators that produce electricity and heat. The electricity produced is sufficient to provide up to 40 per cent of the site’s electricity needs. The heat is used to heat the facility in the winter or cool it in the summer using a heat exchanger.
In order to minimize its potential impact on the environment, Frutarom’s production of EFLA extracts line of healthy ingredients has been complemented by a biogas plant (for the treatment of waste and solids) and an air purification system. Together they produce clean water and clean air, as well as renewable energy.
