BEL Group – Ulzama
About the client
Founded in 1865, the Bel Group is a global player in the food industry, with 30 production sites and products consumed by nearly 400 million people in more than 130 countries. With environmental responsibility at the heart of its strategy, the company is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and continuously improving the sustainability of its operations. As part of this commitment, the time had come to take another step in its energy transition.
Client:
BEL Group – Ulzama
Industry:
Dairy industry
Solution / Product:
BKtech BioOne 700 kW for steam production
Interesting fact:
The installation reduces carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by approximately 500 tonnes per year.
The process
Pasteurisation is a controlled heat treatment used in food production to eliminate microorganisms and reduce enzyme activity, helping to ensure product safety and extend shelf life. The required temperature and treatment time depend on the product and the characteristics that need to be preserved.
In cheese production, heat treatment is carried out under carefully controlled conditions to achieve the required microbiological stability while minimising changes to the product’s nutritional and sensory properties. At the Ulzama site, an ultra-high-temperature treatment is used in the production of The Laughing Cow®. Here, the product is heated to 144 °C, resulting in a sterilised product while limiting heat-related changes to its properties.
The mission
Although significant progress had already been made in reducing its carbon footprint, the Bel Group identified the need for targeted investments at its industrial sites to continue its decarbonisation efforts, focusing on sites with fluctuating steam demand. The Ulzama site, which produces The Laughing Cow® in Spain, used an oil-fired boiler, making it a major opportunity to reduce operational emissions and contribute to the Group’s goal of reducing its CO₂ emissions by 25% by 2035.
The solution
To support the Bel Group’s decarbonisation ambitions, BKtech Group delivered a complete modular bioenergy plant equipped with a silo, a BioOne 700 kW wood pellet boiler for steam production, flue gas treatment and ash collection.
This prefabricated energy plant is part of a growing portfolio of steam solutions deployed by BKtech across Europe. It was designed to provide high operational efficiency, low emissions and rapid installation with minimal impact on the site’s daily operations.
The result
The new energy plant now covers 100% of the site’s steam requirements, providing a reliable renewable energy source for industrial processes.
The Bel Group joined the Science Based Targets initiative in 2017 and raised its ambitions in 2022 in line with the Paris Agreement to help limit the increase in global temperatures to below +1.5 °C. This commitment involves a net reduction of 75.6% in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its Scope 1 and 2 emissions between 2017 and 2035.
Any questions about the project?
Get in touch with:
Staffan Lundegårdh
Sales Executive (Industry)
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