Climate transition: converting biomass waste into energy and adopting more sustainable fuels (4/4)
Using peanut shells as a source of energy? This is one approach we are implementing through our decarbonization lever: Fuel switching and Biomass use. We have launched a comprehensive program to identify, assess and implement projects to switch from fossil fuels, such as coal and heavy fuel oil, to natural gas (a fossil energy source that releases lower GHG emissions) and to biomass waste.
We’ll take you on a journey to America, Europe, the Middle East and China to discover some of our initiatives!
Before going into more details with specific examples, let's start with some key figures that give an idea of the current scale and estimated impact of our initiatives :
Converting local biomass waste into energy
In Andersonville in the US, our refractory minerals production site converted four of its six industrial kilns so that they are now fuelled with an energy mix made of 20% natural gas and 80% biomass waste. In this case, the site sources locally crushed peanut shells. This work includes the installation of new high-efficiency biomass burners for the kilns, specially designed to operate on the peanut shell feedstock. The plant's entire material handling and storage systems were also modernized to accommodate the shift away from fossil fuels.
When the six kilns conversion will be completed, the plant will operate entirely on this energy mix. This should reduce our emissions by ~110 ktCO2eq/year compared to 2018, representing a reduction of around 4% of Imerys total annual GHG emissions.
And there's more! Four other Imerys plants currently use biomass waste instead of fossil fuels: sunflower husks in Ukraine and Denmark, olive seeds in Turkey and landfill gasses and sawdust in France. In total, ~68 ktCO2eq/year is avoided thanks to the transformation of these five plants.
For sites where biomass residues are not available, we choose natural gas as a transition fuel, like in China, at our Zhengzhou plant, where heavy fuel oil was replaced with natural gas. This is still a fossil fuel, but it emits less GHG. Plans are under way to completely eliminate coal consumption at all our sites.
Fuel switching for mining heavy machine equipment
Have you ever heard of renewable diesel? In the US, since October 2023 at Lompoc, CA, and April 2024 at Quincy, WA, all heavy equipment on these sites has been using renewable diesel. In Quincy, this will be extended to Imerys on-road trucks this year. These changes will reduce emissions by ~2.4 ktCO2e/year for Lompoc and ~1.4 ktCO2e/year for Quincy, representing savings of 5% and 4% respectively of the sites' annual energy consumption.
In parallel, it is also important to invest in new hybrid or fuel-efficient equipment. We are discussing and collaborating with heavy machine equipment suppliers to acquire the necessary machinery to support the transition. We are considering different technologies using HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), renewable diesel, hybrid or 100% electric power.
In the past two years we have acquired ten hybrid machines from industry leaders, and we continue to look at new hybrid or electric models that can suit our operations.
Discover our first Climate Transition Plan report
FAQ
Fossil fuels are coal, oil and gas. Their combustion is responsible for 80% of greenhouse gas emissions, making them the main cause of the climate crisis.
Renewable diesel has the same chemical composition as traditional diesel, but its origin is different, such as animal fats or used cooking oils. If we didn’t use it, it would end up burned in a landfill, releasing high GHG emissions. Since we are avoiding it ending up in a landfill and, moreover, we are eliminating the use of fossil fuels, it can be considered as sustainable. Not to be confused with biodiesel, which is a biofuel made from vegetable oils from a biogenic origin. Fuels from a biogenic origin absorb CO2 emissions while growing, counterbalancing the CO2 emissions released when they are combusted.
Are you ready to explore how low-carbon and renewable electricity can drive our journey to be compatible with the 1.5°C trajectory? As one of our five key decarbonization levers, it has the potential to reduce half of the emissions we need to achieve our -42% reduction target.
Let's dive into renewable Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and the low impact electricity installations and projects we are deploying across the Group.
For this second article on our journey to 1.5°C, you will learn about our energy efficiency and recovery projects, which are expected to represent up to 20% of the Group’s emissions reduction potential by 2030. Join us on an immersion tour across some of our sites to discover some best practices and initiatives.
Over a year ago, we committed to align our activities with the most ambitious climate science scenario: limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C. Through a series of articles, we will present our Climate Change ambition and strategy, the levers we focus on to get there and the progress we have already made.