The results of this partnership include a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions, while 20% less energy needed to produce one tonne of sugar or starch.
Supporting the local community
Tereos, the third largest sugar producer in the world, transforms raw agricultural materials into sugar, alcohol and starch. The company has placed corporate social responsibility at the heart of its strategy and has clear targets, including reducing the energy required to produce one tonne of sugar or starch by 20% between 2010 and 2020.
Flexible approach to energy
Tereos is constantly looking for opportunities to increase its energy efficiency and to reduce its energy costs. In addition, Tereos has committed to reducing consumption and returning power to its local community during periods of power shortage linked to peak demand, such as on cold winter days.
Tereos had the opportunity to monetise this power flexibility directly with the transmission system operator, but it found the process complex and was concerned by the associated risk to its operations.
With Centrica Business Solutions, the company launched a project to reduce its energy consumption in periods when energy was scarce and more expensive. Using Flextract™ technology there is little or no communication necessary from Tereos’. The solution monitors the process so that when there is a curtailing activation, Tereos’ SCADA system gets the signal and automatically takes the necessary actions to reduce energy consumption.
Now Tereos’ confidence in Demand Side Response (DSR) participation has grown, the initial trial in Aalst will be developed in the company’s other factories.
The results
The DSR programme is supporting the company’s corporate social responsibility strategy. It is now on track to reduce the energy required to produce one tonne of sugar or starch by 20% by 2020 and to reduce CO₂ emissions in its European sugar factories by 20%.
