Veolia, Solvay launch RDF energy transition project in France

Marilyn Scales | February 16, 2022 | 10:38 am News Coal 
Refuse-derived fuel can replace fossil fuels in industrial plants. Credit: Veolia.

Solvay and Veolia are launching the construction of an industrial energy transition project, Dombasle Énergie, which aims to replace coal with refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for the production of clean and competitive energy for the historical Dombasle-sur-Meurthe plant in France. Founded in 1873 in Lorraine, the Dombasle plant is one of the Solvay’s oldest soda ash makers. The project will ensure the plant’s competitiveness and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50%.

The project consists of replacing three coal-fired boilers with a boiler room equipped with two furnaces running on RDF, produced from waste that cannot be recycled, to avoid importing 200,000 tonnes of coal annually. The Dombasle-sur-Meurthe site will have a cogeneration unit that uses 350,000 tonnes of RDF per year, supplied by Veolia as of 2024.

The new facility, to be built by Solvay and operated by Veolia, will have a capacity of 181 MW thermal power and 17.5 MW electrical power, which will be reused for the industrial process. The project will require an investment of €225 million and is scheduled to come on stream in 2024.

A first in France, Dombasle Énergie will create a circular economy virtuous loop and in particular: cut the site’s environmental footprint, stope the use of fossil fuels, create a new use for waste that was previously not recyclable, and reduce water usage by 7%.

This conversion of the plant offers a real advantage in the context of volatile fossil fuel prices and the taxes imposed by European regulations on the use of coal. This gain in competitiveness allows the site to be sustained and the employment pool to be preserved with 1,000 direct and indirect jobs.

This project has benefited from the support of the Grand Est region and ADEME.

The Dombasle plant produces more than 500,000 t/y of sodium carbonate and bicarbonate, mainly for its local customers. With a total of 3,200 employees, the Dombasle site and 10 other sites make Solvay one of the world leaders in the production of soda ash and sodium bicarbonate.

Learn more at www.Veolia.com.

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