In the heart of the English Channel, in France, a family-owned company has turned its waste into a valuable resource. Specialized in the production of pallets, this innovative enterprise expanded its activities in 2021 by starting the production of pallet blocks made from chipboard. However, the true revolution came with a biomass cogeneration plant, marking a significant leap towards sustainability and energy efficiency.
THE RECYCLING REVOLUTION.
Until recently, the pallets produced by the company were used only once and then discarded, often ending up in landfills. Now, thanks to a new division of the company, these pallets are recovered, ground up, and transformed into pallet blocks, ready to be reused in the production of new pallets. This process not only reduces waste but also lowers transportation costs and promotes a more sustainable production cycle.
ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY.
Thanks to projects implemented by the Ministry of Environmental Development for the energy transition in the wood industry, the company has been able to replace the old gas boiler with a modern biomass cogeneration plant. This plant uses bark collected on-site and from nearby sawmills as fuel, producing heat and electricity from renewable sources. The biomass boiler produces 9 MWth of power in the form of thermal oil for the production of:
- 6 MWth of hot water (used by the customer to power the drying kilns for the production process);
- 1.6 MWth to service an oil-steam exchanger that produces about 2 tons/h of steam (this steam is used for the thermal treatment of pallets);
- 1.4 MWel of electricity fed into the grid and sold.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY.
The plant is equipped with Uniconfort "EOLO" technology, which allows centralized management of combustion air. This technological innovation ensures precise and optimal control of the combustion process, improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions.
EFFICIENCY AND SAVINGS.
The owner's goal was clear: to reduce energy costs and promote the circular economy. The cogeneration plant produces steam, which powers a 33-meter-long dryer used for the production of pallet blocks. The generated heat is also used to power one of the existing pallet dryers and the recycled wood chip dryer. This process allows the use of 70,000 tons of recycled wood each year, saving the cutting down of 150,000 m³ of trees, equivalent to 400 hectares of forest.
This biomass cogeneration plant represents a significant step towards a greener and more sustainable future. The company has not only reduced its operating costs but has also demonstrated that it is possible to combine economic efficiency and environmental respect, transforming waste into a resource and promoting a circular economy model.
| THE INSTALLATION IN NUMBERS |
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| LOCATION | FRANCE |
| NUMBER OF BOILERS | 1 |
| FUEL | WOOD BARK |
| PRODUCTION | HOT WATER, THERMAL OIL, STEAM |
| TOTAL POWER | 7.6 MWt + 1.4 MWe |
| INDUSTRIAL PROCESS | Production process of pallets and pallets block |