Potato starch company Avebe is happy to contribute to achieving the climate objectives of the Netherlands. Among other things, by making processes more energy-efficient and by reducing waste. With the help of subsidies, a special method was developed to extract proteins: Sustainable Concentration of Potato Juice with Membranes (DuCAM). "We will soon save 23% on energy consumption and on CO2 emissions at our largest potato starch factory."
This article is outside the editorial of Boerenbusiness was commissioned by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), as part of their campaign on new subsidy schemes.
Sustainability is a large part of Avebe's business operations, says Erik Koops, director of investment development & portfolio management at Avebe. "We strive for harmony between optimal results for shareholders and the best for nature and the environment."
Sustainability assessment
Protein recovery consists of several steps. "First we remove potato juice from the potato. We bring that juice to a boil, so that the proteins flocculate. We can separate and dry them." It concerns protamyl protein, says Koops. This is used, among other things, for animal feed. "We evaporate the potato juice that remains after the protein extraction. This leaves a very concentrated product: protamylasse." This whole process takes a lot of energy, says Koops. "But with DuCAM we are becoming significantly more energy efficient."
Koops: "Sustainability is also a large part of our strategy. We continuously assess our production processes for sustainability and efficiency and adjust them where necessary." An example of such an adjustment is DuCAM, financed with the subsidy Demonstratie Energie- en Climate innovation (DEI+). "With DuCAM we will soon save 23% of energy consumption and CO2emissions and another 400.000 cubic meters of water per year in our starch factory in Ter Apelkanaal."
Deployment of membrane technology
Avebe developed DuCAM together with Wafilin, a company specialized in membrane technology. How does the method work? Koops: "We use ultrafiltration membranes to filter the potato juice. These membranes allow smaller molecules, such as water and salts, to pass through, but they stop the proteins. This means we have to boil much less juice to extract the proteins. We also have to evaporate much less residual water afterwards."
Avebe has tested DuCAM for 3 years. During that period, the company has tackled various problems. 'Initially, the membranes turned out to be clogged, for example. Now the system has several steps. Each staircase is cleaned once every 24 hours. This keeps the membranes clean and the system can run continuously.'
Reuse of residual water
At the end of 2019, Avebe's potato starch factory in Ter Apelkanaal took DuCAM into operation. "We are going to use 13.000 tons of CO2 saving per year," says Koops enthusiastically. "A significant saving compared to our current emissions and a good step towards achieving the climate goals."
In addition to reducing CO2 emissions, the company also saves a lot of water thanks to the new technology. Koops: "The residual water that we obtain from the potatoes by using DuCAM is clean. This is due to the second membrane technology we use: reverse osmosis. We can now reuse the water – in particular to wash the potatoes at the start of the process, so we save 400.000 cubic meters of water every year."
Aid against climate crisis
Avebe completed the DuCAM project with over €3 million in government grant. Koops: 'Thanks to this DEI+, the payback period of the project has been shortened from 7,5 to more than 5 years.'
Avebe is now looking at whether it can further develop the membrane technology and use it, for example, in its other factories. 'Perhaps other subsidies, such as Accelerated Climate Investment Industry (VekI), can give us an extra boost', says Koops. 'We are happy to discuss this with the people at the Ministry of Economic Affairs or RVO.'
Meanwhile, Avebe is also thinking about other ways to combat the climate crisis. Koops: 'We are now investigating, for example, how we can approach the drying of products more efficiently. Perhaps we can use residual heat in such a way that the dryers require less energy. Who knows, we may soon discuss this with RVO.'
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SUBSIDIES FOR CO2-REDUCTION
In 2050, the Netherlands should emit 95% less CO2 compared to 1990. By 2030, there should already be a 49% reduction. That is in the climate goals. Based on these goals, the government sets requirements for industrial companies. It supports them in meeting these requirements with knowledge, networks and subsidies. It offers various new subsidies via RVO.nl, which can be found on the website subsidy financing guide. We inform you about three regulations. These are:
1. Accelerated Climate Investment Industry (VeKI)
This unique subsidy is specifically intended to shorten the payback period of CO2-reducing investments. The national government has released €28 million for this subsidy. Projects should in any case revolve around the themes of 'energy efficiency', 'recycling' or 'waste reuse'. It must concern investments in proven measures, where the payback period for the investment costs is longer than 5 years. And the application of the project must be ready for the market. This means that the application must be proven at least 3 times in comparable projects in the Dutch industry.
You can apply for VeKI at RVO.nl Submit up to and including June 30, 2020 (no later than 17.00 p.m.).
2. Demonstration Energy and Climate Innovation (DEI+): Circular Economy
This scheme is specifically intended to stimulate the sustainable use of raw materials. The national government has released €44 million for this subsidy.
Projects that qualify for this scheme must have their end date on 31 December 2020 at the latest. These projects must focus on a higher or longer use of raw materials. These projects must involve CO2 reduction. For example, consider recycling and reuse of waste. Or the use of biobased raw materials.
DEI+: Circular Economy is intended for industry, companies in the energy supply, water companies and waste managers. Your project is eligible if you want to demonstrate a new innovative technique or a new product. Proposals from SMEs are also more than welcome.
You can still apply for DEI+ Circular Economy Submit up to and including September 22, 2020 (no later than 17.00 p.m.). When applying for the subsidy, take the size, duration and end date of your project into account.
3. Mission-driven Research Development and Innovation (MOOI)
This unique scheme is specifically intended to support integrated solutions that contribute to the climate goals. The national government has released 65 million euros for this subsidy, of which €17 million is specifically for industrial solutions.
Projects that qualify for the MOOI scheme must be of considerable financial size. The exact size is still being determined. In addition, the project must clearly demonstrate an integrated approach. That is why several companies from the innovation chain must be affiliated with the project. These are preferably organizations from different disciplines and consortia. It is also important that applicants set clear milestones in their plan. These must be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) so that progress can be properly tracked.
You must first notify us of your proposal, after which you can submit a definitive subsidy application. Pre-registration is possible between 1 and 20 April 2020, the definitive subsidy application must be submitted between 1 July and 8 September 2020. All information you need can be found at RVO.nl.
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