The Sanofi spinoff said the biomass boiler will support the site’s plans for a B12 production capacity increase, reduce CO₂ emissions by almost 76% up to 2026 against 2020 and accelerate its drive for greater energy autonomy.

Design and engineering of the boiler have already been finalized, and construction will start in the coming weeks, the company said. The 17 MW equipment that will use waste wood (Grade B) is expected to produce 140,000 t/y of steam per year, allowing annual fossil fuel CO₂ emissions to be slashed by roughly 20,000 tonne.

The upgrade is profiting from €10.4 million in financial aid from the French government’s France Relance program that funds investment in sustainable production.

EuroAPI said the new equipment could also enable the production of green electricity by using cogeneration technology, thereby covering 10% of the site’s needs and at the same time supplying local community heating networks.

The API maker said the investment supports its ambitious ESG (Environmental, Social and Governmental) roadmap and confirms the company’s target to reduce its Scopes 1 and 2 CO₂ emissions by 30% up to 2030 against 2020.

One of six EuroAPI sites, Saint-Aubin-lès-Elbeuf specializes in large-scale fermentation and has downstream processing facilities. With all relevant certifications, this is the only Western API site that manufacture vitamin B12 for the pharmaceutical industry, the company noted.

Beyond delivering on the ESG commitment, CEO Karl Rotthier said the plans fit well with EuroAPI’s decarbonization initiative. The new generation of equipment will also allow the company to reduce the amount of energy required for the fermentation process that supports production vitamin B12, added COO Eric Berger.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist