Today marks a significant step on Oterra’s decarbonization journey, revealing its state-of-the-art 3.5 MW biomass boiler at the Cossé-le-Vivien site in France.  Oterra has chosen to mark the occasion by inviting distinguished guests, including Christophe Langouët, Mayor of Cossé-le-Vivien, and Benoît LaCroix, regional deputy director of ADEME Pays de la Loire. Leading the inauguration ceremony are Luc Ganivet, general manager of Oterra France, and Hervé PRESA, Pays de la Loire regional director at ENGIE Solutions. 

Established in Cossé-le-Vivien in 1929, now owned by Danish group Oterra, the site specializes in producing color from natural sources. Today, Oterra cements its commitment to sustainability by accelerating decarbonization through the implementation of a biomass boiler thereby reducing CO2e emissions by more than 3,000 tons annually. 

Oterra en route to meet ambitious Scope 1 targets with 25% CO2e reduction 

The biomass boiler effectively covers over 82% of the site's steam requirements and with this new biomass boiler setup, and with a new gas steam boiler to provide backup and support. The new setup has been designed and implemented by ENGIE Solutions. The 3.5 MW biomass boiler at Oterra's site efficiently utilizes wood chip byproducts from woodland and agroforestry residue, sourced from within 150 km of the plant – manifesting Oterra’s commitment to local, renewable energy and sustainable resource management in general. 

The project secured victory in the 2020 BCIAT call for projects, Biomass Heat for Industry, Agriculture, and Tertiary Sectors, led by ADEME, with a subsidy of approximately €1.8 million. 

The biomass boiler's operation and biomass sourcing adhere to BCIAT requirements, ensuring responsible practices with 80% wood chips and 20% wood by-products sourced from local forests, woodlands, and agroforestry residues. 

"Our sustainability strategy is intricately linked with our core purpose – making natural food and beverage easy for a sustainable and healthy world. We actively address climate impact as a central part of our strategy, with our targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), confirming our commitment to a 1.5-degree pathway," said Luc Ganivet, general manager of Oterra France. 

He then adds: “Replacing the old fuel boiler with the biomass boiler at the Cossé-le-Vivien site is a significant step forward to reduce Oterra’s direct emissions. This investment is estimated to give us an impressive 25% reduction of our Scope 1 impacts annually, equivalent to removing 700 petrol-powered cars from the roads a full year or planting close to 50,000 tree seedlings and letting them grow for 10 years”.  

Hervé Presa, Pays de la Loire regional director at ENGIE Solutions, expressed, "We are honored to support Oterra in this strategic phase of decarbonization with a local and sustainable solution, showcasing the expertise of our teams." 

Benoît Lacroix, regional deputy director of ADEME Pays de la Loire, added, "The Biomass Heat Industry Agriculture Tertiary (BCIAT) call for projects launched annually by ADEME enables companies to decarbonize their processes while relying on locally sourced biomass resources, thereby contributing to the economic development of the region.” 

Oterra's investment in the biomass boiler at the Cossé-le-Vivien site underscores their dedication to environmental stewardship, innovation, and collaboration. This initiative not only signifies a pivotal moment in their decarbonization efforts but also highlights their proactive approach toward achieving a more sustainable future. 

 About ADEME 

Here at ADEME - The French Agency for Ecological Transition - we are firmly committed to fighting global warming and the depletion of our natural resources. On all fronts, we mobilize citizens, economic actors and territories towards a fairer, more harmonious, low-carbon and resource-efficient society. Whatever the field - energy, circular economy, food, mobility, air quality, adaptation to climate change, soils, etc. - we advise, facilitate and help finance many projects, from research to solutions sharing. At every level, our expertise and forecasting capacities serve to guide and inform public policies. 

ADEME is a public agency under the joint authority of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion and the Ministry for Higher Education and Research. 

About ENGIE Solutions 

ENGIE Solutions is the long-term ally of cities, industries, and companies, helping to speed up their energy transition. ENGIE implements customized, decentralized solutions so that each stakeholder can make their own contribution to the energy transition, based on their resources and their challenges. 

In the heart of their regions, ENGIE Solutions experts assist clients in their decarbonization efforts, with ever more diverse expertise: from district heating and cooling networks to on-site, carbon-neutral energy production systems to energy performance services, all with two main objectives for their clients: consume less, consume better. 

This partnership marks a pivotal moment in the industry, introducing an environmentally conscious and carbon-neutral process that delivers a breakthrough natural color component derived from microalgae.

Recognizing the shared commitment to sustainable and innovative solutions, the collaboration is a natural progression for both companies. This partnership is a testament to the power of industry connections and the potential for transformative collaborations.  

The Oterra and VAXA Technologies partnership commitment to minimal impact on land, water, and climate is exemplified by the integration of natural color production into one of the world’s largest geothermal plants. The facility maximizes sustainability by utilizing waste heat, natural CO2 emissions, hot and cold water, and operating on 100% clean energy. 

Challenging Industry Norms: Producing Algae with Minimal Water & Land Footprint 

The collaboration focuses on state-of-the-art practices, requiring only up to 2 % of the fresh water and land footprint for producing natural color compared to industry standard open pond systems. This achievement sets a new benchmark for responsible resource usage and sustainable practices. 

Optimized for growth, VAXA Technologies’ indoor growth platform, integral to the partnership, utilizes advanced machine learning technology for controlled, optimized and scalable microalgae production. Free from contaminants, this collaboration offers businesses high-quality choices in the natural color solutions market. 

"This partnership underscores our dedication to delivering a cutting-edge natural color solution to the global market and our commitment to a sustainable and carbon-neutral future. As we embark on this remarkable journey, we reshape the landscape of natural food coloring, a testament to the bounty of nature” says Martin Sonntag, CEO at Oterra.   

VAXA Technologies' Novel technology integrated with the Icelandic clean energy ecosystem creates a bio-secured facility that ensures optimum growth conditions and enables microalgae to thrive in pristine Icelandic water, guaranteeing a safe and clean production process. The partnership with Oterra will enable the food industry to enjoy our joint commitment to purity, quality, and the preservation of the natural world.” Says Ohad Bashan, CEO of VAXA Technologies. 

For Oterra, this partnership positions the company as a trailblazer in evolving its sustainability vision. By incorporating VAXA Technologies, Oterra reinforces its commitment to providing sustainable solutions to its customers. On the other hand, for VAXA Technologies, this collaboration is a testimony to the commercial production capabilities using its breakthrough technology, to deliver an improved, cleaner ingredient to the food industry, leveraging Oterra’s leadership position in the market.  

As Oterra and VAXA Technologies embark on this partnership, the primary focus is delivering enhanced customer value. Both companies are excited about the possibilities ahead and are committed to making a positive impact on the global food industry by providing customers with sustainable and innovative solutions. 

This is currently the most ambitious designation available through the SBTi process. With this important milestone, Oterra reflects its overall commitment to widespread change for the better, recognizing that the well-being of people and the planet are interconnected.

Just two years after the establishment of the company and despite multiple key acquisitions, Oterra submitted targets in April 2023 committing to reduce absolute scopes 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 42% by 2030 from a 2022 base year, as well as to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions 25% within the same timeframe. After a rigorous review, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has validated these targets. Oterra, the world’s largest supplier of natural food colors, has once again shown its resolution to responsibly care for the earth and the ecosystems that provide sustenance and well-being.

“I am thrilled about the SBTi validation,” said Mads Dehlsen Winther, CEO at Oterra. “Climate change is the most urgent issue of this generation, and we are committed to doing our part even in a difficult economic environment. I am also proud of the thorough materiality assessment we’ve completed. Without it, we wouldn’t have the solid baseline we need to be able to track future progress towards sustainability objectives efficiently and transparently.”

“Today, we welcome Oterra’s science-based targets consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C,” said Luiz Amaral, Chief Executive Officer of the Science Based Targets initiative. “The ambition of Oterra’s targets is aligned with the need for the global economy to rapidly cut emissions. Oterra is setting an example for the rest of its industry, and I urge others in its sector to set their own targets too.”

The SBTi drives ambitious climate action in the private sector by enabling organizations to set science-based emissions reduction targets. It is a partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

“SBTi validation is the gold standard for companies serious about addressing climate change. The SBTi requires a transparent commitment, provides a framework to measure climate action, and ensures that commitments are in line with the latest climate science,” says Vera Karmebäck, Global Sustainability Lead at Oterra. “Born with a legacy of responsible agricultural processing and recognizing the need for a healthy planet, I’m proud that we’ve committed to the SBTi’s most ambitious standard for scope 1 and 2 reductions, and that Oterra is as serious about sustainability as we are about contributing to authentic, natural food.”

As a natural ingredient supplier to food and beverage manufacturers, Oterra’s commitment to reduce emissions helps their customers reduce their own value chain emissions.Oterra is proudly committed to several other initiatives including Sedex, the UN Global Compact and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Oterra is also committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity at its production sites – a commitment they have proudly upheld since the company was established.

The vertical supply chain starts with the farming of specialty crops around the world. Oterra has long been known for upholding ethical practices and being a reliable partner enabling investments in sustainable farming methods. With a consistent alignment to the principle “nature got it right,” Oterra remains committed to delivering natural solutions, preserving the planet’s resources and promoting the well-being of individuals and communities around the world.

Karmebäck enhances the international profile of the company, having been named a UN Global Compact SDG Pioneer in 2022. Vera, recognized for her strong work in having ‘demonstrated extraordinary progress and commitment towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals’, comes from RA International – a remote site service provider. Sustainability is a key focus area for Oterra in 2023, as the company looks to step out of the shadows of its previous parent company Chr. Hansen, and strongly solidify its own world contributions. For Oterra CEO, Odd Erik Hansen, the company’s mission of ‘making natural food and beverage easy for a healthy and sustainable world’ resonates with industry aspirations.    “Our employees and customers expect us to be the industry leader when it comes to sustainability – and as a natural colors company that believes nature got it right – it makes perfect sense that we lead the color industry in finding the best ways to adopt sustainable practices for the future,” said Hansen. Oterra is a key supplier of natural colors to most of the world’s largest food and beverage manufacturers.