Groupe SEB contributes to the fight against climate change by making commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2016, the Group joined the Science Based Target initiative (SBT), to align its low carbon approach with the goal of keeping global warming below 2°C by the end of the century.

Groupe SEB has set the objective of reducing its emissions per product manufactured by 40% (base year 2016).

To achieve these ambitious goals, it is concentrating its efforts on two priorities:

• Optimize the energy consumption of its plants,
• Increase in the share of renewable energy.

This is the framework for this first biogas supply project of Groupe SEB, carried out by Is-sur-Tille industrial site. The project has two components: 

Replace natural gas consumption with biogas for buildings heating

Is-sur-Tille site now uses biogas for heating. 

An agricultural methaniser was put in operation in 2021. This facility, located less than two kilometers from the site, recycles bio-waste by producing biogas. 

The project has led to the establishment of a commercial partnership: part of the biogas produced by the methaniser can now replace all the fossil natural gas previously consumed to heat the site (~1,6 GWh). This has resulted in an estimated saving of 260 tons of CO2 equivalent per year, which is more than half of the annual emissions of the site before the project.

Valorise the site’s bio-waste by methanisation

Is sur Tille site now recycles its bio-waste into biogas. 

The site’s laboratory generates food and oils wastes when carrying out quality tests. Buildings are also surrounded by large greens spaces. These bio-wastes were previously incinerated. Now, there are collected free of charge by the methaniser’s operators (up to 30 tons per year) and converted into biogas – which is then reused to heat the site! 

Some figures:

• 1 ton of plant material produces about 90 m3 of CH4.
• 1 ton of vegetable oil produces 500-600 m3 of CH4.

Success factors and advice for similar projects:

• The knowledge of its neighbourhood is essential to identify possible industrial synergies and to carry out this project with several people;
• Enough food waste and green waste must be produced to interest the biogas plant;
• Having a gas delivery station adjacent to the site ensures that the biogas saturates the natural gas network pipeline all year round;
• The biogas plant must be sufficiently robust to guarantee a permanent supply and not have financial difficulties for upgrading to standards.