At PepsiCo's chips factory in Broek op Langedijk, Eneco will start electrifying factory processes. In this factory, PepsiCo makes Lay's and Cheetos, among others. The plan is to build a thermal storage facility. This will get its heat from renewable electricity. The storage will allow the sustainable heat to be used even more efficiently to bake the chips.
Eneco and PepsiCo have very ambitious climate goals. This project is the first high-temperature industrial electrification project in the Netherlands for both companies. It is also the first electrification project in the Dutch food industry in this way. For PepsiCo, this is also the first large-scale sustainable electrification of a chip factory.
Strategy
PepsiCo is looking globally at ways to make its processes more sustainable. To this end, as part of its sustainability strategy 'PepsiCo Positive' (pep+), it has set targets for sustainability across the value chain. From the potato in the field to the final product - the bag of crisps. One of the pillars under the pep+ strategy concerns tackling CO2 emissions. Specifically, it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 40 per cent by 2030. And for the factories, there is a target of as much as 75% reduction in emissions. By 2040, PepsiCo aims to be climate-neutral globally.
Less CO2 emissions
Eneco wants to be climate neutral by 2035 together with its customers. It helps its partners to become more sustainable by offering various solutions. A thermal storage system will be installed in the plant, which gets its heat from renewable electricity. The storage allows the renewable heat to be used even more efficiently to bake the chips. Electrification with renewable energy is an important solution to further reduce gas use in the industry, thus further reducing CO2 emissions. Replacing natural gas with renewable electricity will lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions. In the first phase, this reduction is 51% compared to what the companies expect in emissions without this sustainable solution. Electrification of heat production with an addition of thermal storage will allow PepsiCo in Broek op Langedijk to reduce more than 8,500 tonnes of CO2 per year. The goal is to eventually achieve a 98% CO2 reduction.
Innovative technology
In the chip factory, the renewable heat can be used directly. Or thermal storage stores the heat for later use. The latter is done using an innovative technology from Germany's Kraftblock. An electric resistance heater (E-heater) heats air up to 800℃. This hot air is passed through a large container of iron slag. The heat is given off to the iron slag. These are great for retaining heat at a high temperature for long periods of time.
Iron slag
Iron slag is a residual product from the metal industry. Together with a phosphate binder, it forms an energy storage product. By reversing the airflow, the iron slag releases its heat back into the air. This happens as soon as heat is needed again. This hot air is then used to heat thermal oil needed to bake the chips.
2023
Construction of the thermal storage is expected to start in mid-2023. If everything goes according to schedule, construction will be completed by the end of 2023. The project will receive support through a DEI+ grant from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
