Environment

Favouring renewable energies

The issue of sustainable development and energy transition is central to energy purchasing. In recent years Adisseo has increased the number of electricity purchase contracts guaranteeing either a supply of renewable origin (wind, solar, hydro, etc.), or a supply of minimally decarbonised origin (nuclear, etc.), concentrating its efforts on locating its sites in areas where the carbon footprint of the local energy mix has the greatest impact on the climate.

Since the beginning of 2021 all the electricity supplied to the Nanjing site in China has been certified as nuclear. This corresponds to a reduction in indirect CO2 emissions associated with its production of over 90,000 tons of CO2.

Also in 2021 the Barbastro and Huesca (Spain) sites were included in the scope of the green electricity purchase contract for the Burgos site signed in 2020, within this new scope representing almost 12,000 tons of indirect CO2 emissions. For many years, the Kallo site in Belgium has been supplied with electricity from wind farms and solar panels.

In total, these various contracts account for 55% of the company’s electricity purchases. Most of the remaining purchases are related to electricity purchases in France, whose energy mix has a lower environmental impact. The supply of steam to the Commentry site by a biomass plant and to the Roussillon site by the OSIRIS economic interest group also makes it possible to reduce the carbon footprint associated with this heat purchase by more than 30,000 t of CO2 .

OSIRIS is in fact carrying out a project to decarbonise the production of the energy needed for the industrial platform. All this progress contributes to the objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to its activity, as well as to the carbon neutrality initiative in 2050 to which the company is committed.

Produce more while less

For several years Adisseo has set itself ambitious environmental objectives by committing to consuming less while producing more. Particular attention is paid to energy and natural resource requirements.
With this in mind, specifi c organisations have been set up, based on strong employee involvement.
The Sunfl ower project is an initiative that aims to limit the company’s energy consumption, boost its efficiency and indirectly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. In Adisseo’s production workshops, energy performance is closely monitored to adapt operating parameters in order to constantly optimise consumption. Any loss of energy is identifi ed, and each employee suggests ideas to remedy the situation.
The GREEN project concerns the reduction of water consumption and waste volumes generated by Adisseo’s activities. In addition to seeking direct savings, recycling is the other preferred solution. By participating in the operational awareness of all the company’s industrial sites, GREEN aims to help define new objectives.
The involvement of its staff is a collective force that allows the company to act with the ambition of reducing its ecological footprint.

Reducing environmental impacts

Adisseo is constantly working to reduce the impact of its activities on the environment and has invested more than €80m in this area over the last five years. In 2021, a new Odisseo wastewater treatment plant
was commissioned at the Commentry site (France).
It replaces an old treatment plant and offers significantly better performance that meets all the most stringent regulatory requirements. COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) discharges have been reduced by 40%, while TSS (Total Suspended Solids) discharges have been reduced by over 70%. Similar progress has also been achieved for BOD5 (Biological Oxygen Demand), nitrogen and phosphorus.
Another positive aspect is that the volume of sludge produced has been reduced by two-thirds and meets
all quality requirements for land application. At the same time, a rehabilitation project for the old lagoons and sludge storage areas has been launched. This new equipment, representing an investment of nearly € 20 m, is operated by the water treatment specialist Veolia and ensures that the Commentry(France) site’s activities are perfectly integrated into the environment.
Innov’ia has launched the Ekeau project at its La Rochelle site (France) to optimise the control of its industrial effluents through the installation of a hydraulic regulation basin and a safety basin. This project also includes the complete renovation of all rainwater collection and treatment facilities as well as
several water-saving measures to reduce the number of washing operations and encourage recycling and
reuse. It represents an investment of € 1.8 m and benefits from a subsidy from the administration of nearly € 300 k.
All Adisseo entities are involved in reducing the environmental impact of the company’s activities.