Eneco Helps PepsiCo Transform Heat Into Sustainable Electricity
Eneco will begin electrifying factory processes at PepsiCo’s snack plant in Broek op Langedijk, where Lay’s and Cheetos are manufactured. A thermal storage unit powered by renewable energy is being constructed. This heat can then be used to fry the crisps more sustainably.
In the first phase, replacing natural gas with sustainable electricity will result in a 51% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to what we expect in emissions without a sustainable solution. With further implementation of the technology, the goal is to achieve a 98% reduction.
“Eneco and PepsiCo have very ambitious climate targets. For both companies, this project is the first industrial electrification project with high-temperature storage in the Netherlands. It is also the first electrification project in the Dutch food industry of this type. For PepsiCo, this is the first large-scale sustainable electrification of a snack plant,” according to a recent press release.
PepsiCo is looking for ways to make its processes more sustainable around the world. To that end, as part of its ‘PepsiCo Positive’ (pep+) sustainability strategy, PepsiCo has set sustainability targets for the entire value chain, from the potato in the field to the finished product – the bag of chips. One of the pep+ strategy’s pillars is reducing CO2 emissions. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 40% by 2030, with a target of no less than a 75% reduction in emissions for factories. PepsiCo aims to achieve global climate neutrality by 2040.
Eneco, in collaboration with its customers, aspires to be climate neutral by 2035 and to assist its partners in becoming more sustainable by providing a variety of solutions. Electrification with renewable energy is an important solution for reducing gas use in industry and thus CO2 emissions. The sustainable heat in the snack plant can be used immediately or stored for later use. The latter is accomplished through the use of innovative technology developed by the German company Kraftblock.
An electrical resistance heater (E-heater) heats air to 800 degrees Celsius. This hot air is passed through a large container with iron slag and the heat is released into the iron slag. This material is suitable for retaining high temperatures for long periods. Iron slag is a by-product of the metal industry that is otherwise discarded. Now it is processed together with a phosphate binder into a product for energy storage. When the heat is needed again, the airflow is reversed, and the iron slag releases heat back into the air. This hot air is then used to heat thermal oil that is used to fry the crisps.
“Thanks to the electrification of heat production with the addition of thermal storage, PepsiCo in Broek op Langedijk can remove more than 8,500 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to a reduction of 51%. This is the first step in the goal to ultimately reduce the CO2 emissions of the plant by approximately 98%. The construction of the thermal storage is expected to start in mid-2023 and, if everything goes according to plan it will be ready by the end of 2023. The project is supported by a DEI+ subsidy from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO),” the experts concluded.
