One of the earliest methods of powering manufacturing was steam generation. Boilers converting water to steam power were common, not just on railroads but throughout industrial America. However, the heat to generate the steam was often created using coal, oil, or natural gas, all causing carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas and the focus of climate-change initiatives.
In Europe, EUROAPI, a pharmaceutical company, is taking a different approach. The company is investing €24 million (about $23,913,000) for the construction of a state-of-the-art biomass boiler at its site in Saint-Aubin-lès-Elbeuf, France. This investment should enable EUROAPI to support the site’s vitamin B12 production increase, reduce its CO2 emissions by almost 76% in 2026, compared to 2020, and support the Group’s strategy towards greater energy autonomy.
The design and engineering of the biomass boiler have been finalized and construction will start later in 2022. This 17 MW equipment will use waste wood (Grade B) and is expected to produce 140,000 tonnes of steam per year, enabling EUROAPI to cut its yearly fossil fuel CO2 emissions by approximately 20,000 tonnes. It could also allow the production of green electricity by using cogeneration technology, covering 10% of the needs onsite, and supply local community heating networks.
This investment, which benefits from the financial support of €10.4 million from the French Government within the framework of the France Relance plan, is in line with its ambitious ESG (environmental, social, and governance) roadmap. It confirms its target to reduce its CO2 emissions (both scopes 1 and 2) by 30% in 2030 compared to 2020. In the context of inflation and rising energy prices, this project illustrates EUROAPI’s strategy of greater energy autonomy.
The Saint-Aubin-lès-Elbeuf factory is one of six EUROAPI sites and specializes in large scale fermentation and downstream processing. It is the only Western API—active pharmaceutical ingredients—manufacturing site for vitamin B12 for the pharmaceutical industry and plays a crucial role in ensuring its global supply.
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