In Saint-Malo, Timac Agro is banking on biomass boilers to decarbonize its production

See my news
Follow Le Pays Malouin

The Roullier Group, whose headquarters and research center are in Saint-Malo, wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by “15% by 2030 and 30% by 2040”.

An objective in which its historic subsidiary, Timac Agro France, specialized in fertilizers and fertilizers, is taking part.

Funding from Ademe

On Thursday, December 12, it inaugurated its third biomass boiler, which now covers 80% of the thermal needs of its factory in the South ZI of Saint-Malo, until now powered only by gas.

This represents 2,000 tonnes of CO₂ in less per year “i.e. the equivalent of the emissions of 1,000 cars or the annual energy consumption of 500 homes”, indicates the company.

The investment, which amounts to 3.4 million euros, benefited from funding of €691,540 from Ademe, the state agency in charge of the ecological transition.

Supply at a maximum of 150 km from the factory

Suffice to say that this inauguration was an opportunity to praise “a sustainable and competitive industrial model”, in the words of Emilia Gigova, general director of Timac Agro France.

Concretely, the impressive boiler, installed at the heart of the granulation plant, is fueled by waste from the wood industry (forest chips, shredded pallets). The equivalent of four days of consumption can be stored on site.

The fuel is brought to the boiler by conveyor belts, in order to avoid additional handling by staff (53 employees).

Above all, “we source our supplies a maximum of 150 km from the factory,” indicates Pierre-Marie Pichon, director of the site for six years. “Ademe has a right to control the origin of the wood. »

This is “FSC and PEFC certified, guaranteeing sustainable and forest-friendly management”, the company also specifies.

Treated dust

While Saint-Malo is already overexposed to certain fine particles in the air, what about emissions linked to wood combustion?

“It was in our specifications: they had to be absorbable by the already existing process. This starts with the selection of fuel: we only use raw wood, so as not to have any residue from burnt paint, for example. »

The process used makes it possible to “capture 99.5% of fine particles”, also indicates the press release from Timac Agro.

It is a bag filter, at the dryer outlet, which blocks the path of dust and allows it to be put back into the production circuit. The gaseous compounds are captured by “water spray”: they pass through a 17-meter washing tower. The fumes escape into the open air through a chimney, where a sensor measures the ammonia concentration (precursor gas for fine particles).

“Prescriptions respected”

It is these emissions (as well as those from the Quai Industrie factory at the port of Saint-Malo) which are governed by prefectural decrees and have been the subject of a Site Monitoring Commission since 2020. “I have not never seen industrial sites as monitored as yours, and not only by the State”, declared Philippe Brugnot, sub-prefect, during the inauguration, specifying that “all the requirements of the decrees are respected.”

Please note, however, that a legal proceeding, linked to the exceedances of the ammonia emission limit values ​​between 2018 and 2021, is still ongoing.

The historic Timac factory, at the port of Saint-Malo, also has a biomass boiler, but it is only used for part of its production. A new investment should make it possible to extend its use.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.