Swiss Refinery Targets Climate-Neutral Operation by 2030
Energy intensive food production processes require innovative solutions to combine sustainability and security of supply. Nutriswiss AG, one of Switzerland’s leading specialists when it comes to sourcing and processing high-quality vegetable oils and fats, aims to achieve climate-neutral production by 2030. Thanks to close cooperation with its partner companies, GZM Extraktionswerk AG and Swiss Ecovalor AG in the Centravo Group, Nutriswiss already has access to a largely CO2-neutral energy mix with a high level of supply security.
Efficient resource use and environmentally friendly production is part of Nutriswiss AG’s mission statement. This also applies to the organisation’s energy strategy, which is based on sustainable process steam from residual materials. Partner company GZM Extraktionswerk AG produces Category 1 meat and bone meal, which can only be used thermally for veterinary reasons. This takes place in the neighbouring combined heat and power (CHP) plant of fellow partner Swiss Ecovalor AG.
Steam is generated in the facility’s boiler at a pressure of 70 bar, which is converted into electricity via a turbine. The steam is subsequently supplied directly to Nutriswiss AG and other neighbouring Centravo Group subsidiaries. In 2023, the plant supplied approximately 2600 MWh of electricity to the grid and around 35,000 MWh of heat to customers in the Lyss Nord industrial area.
In addition to process steam, Nutriswiss also obtains electricity from CHP generation. The steam alone saved almost 1600 tonnes of CO2 in 2023. Nutriswiss also receives hot and warm water from GZM, which saves another 200 tonnes of CO2. Nutriswiss only self-generates process heat to refine fats as the required temperature level cannot be achieved with steam.
The advantages for Nutriswiss are obvious, says GZM Managing Director René Burri, who is also in charge of the CHP plant: “Nutriswiss doesn’t have to maintain its own infrastructure for steam production and enjoys maximum security of supply from CO2-neutral sources during regular operation.” Should the CHP plant ever fail, the GZM boiler house supplies the energy. Depending on availability, it can use animal fat from its own production as fuel, as well as natural gas or heating oil.
René Burri believes that Nutriswiss and the Centravo Group are on the right track with their energy network: “Our commitment to security of supply and sustainability is an investment in the future. We want to make the best possible use of resources and are happy to go the proverbial extra mile to achieve this.” As a GZM product, this exceptional fuel is always available and cheaper than other renewable source, but places high demands on investment and operation.
The CHP plant is subject to strict veterinary legislation and must also comply with the same environmental regulations regarding air pollution as any waste incineration plant.
Category 1 animal fat is the second energy-rich product of GZM. It is further processed into biodiesel and sold by Swiss Ecovalor as “ecodiesel” via the plant’s own petrol station. The entire Nutriswiss logistics fleet uses around 80% ecodiesel. In this way, sustainable fats contribute to the production and CO2-neutral transport of the company’s products.