Cristal Union’s factory in Sainte-Émilie has developed an innovative process that converts sugar beets into water, enhancing resource efficiency and decarbonization. Since 2018, the facility has eliminated groundwater extraction, generating surplus water for local farmers. The plant processes 1.8 tons of beets annually, achieving water self-sufficiency in five out of eight facilities. Additionally, energy efficiency improvements include a 15% reduction in energy consumption and the use of steam heat to minimize CO2 emissions, with future plans for solar energy and alternative fuel sources.
Transforming Beets into Water: Cristal Union’s Decarbonization Efforts
At the Cristal Union factory in Sainte-Émilie, located in the Somme region, a groundbreaking process is underway to produce water by extracting it from sugar beets. This innovative initiative is part of the group’s commitment to accelerate its decarbonization efforts while maximizing resource efficiency.
Massive mounds of sugar beets dominate the landscape of the factory, which operates continuously during the sugar campaign from mid-September to January. The facility processes freshly harvested beets, transforming them into usable sugar in an impressive timeframe of just eight hours from the initial rinse to the final product. The air is filled with a unique blend of aromas, shifting from earthy scents to the sweet fragrance of caramelized sugar, depending on the production phase.
Water Self-Sufficiency and Energy Efficiency
Since 2018, the Sainte-Émilie facility has achieved remarkable milestones, including eliminating all groundwater extraction and even generating surplus water stocks for local farmers during the summer months. “The primary output of our sugar production is water, as beets contain approximately 75-78% water alongside 18% sugar and pulp,” shares Pascal Hamon, the industrial director of France’s second-largest sugar group, known for its Daddy brand.
Over the years, Cristal Union has focused on becoming self-sufficient in water while simultaneously reducing energy consumption. The transformation process begins with rinsing the beets, which are then sliced into ‘cossettes’—small pieces resembling fries. These are immersed in heated water at 70°C, allowing the sugar to dissolve. The resulting liquid is then concentrated into a sweet syrup, culminating in the crystallization phase where sugar is formed.
The factory boasts impressive numbers, processing 1.8 tons of beets annually and managing to store about 700,000 m³ of water. This stored water not only aids in restarting operations for the next sugar campaign but is also made available to cooperative farmers for their agricultural needs. Thibaut Vaissière, director of the Sainte-Émilie site, highlights that five out of Cristal Union’s eight sugar facilities are already water self-sufficient, with plans for all to achieve this within a year.
In addition to water management, energy efficiency remains a key focus for the cooperative. The group is actively phasing out polluting fuels across its facilities. Following the closure of two factories and a strategic reorganization in 2020, Cristal Union is leveraging strong market performance driven by high sugar prices to support these changes.
Since 2010, the Sainte-Émilie factory has reduced energy consumption by 15%. In 2023, it invested in a new drying unit specifically designed for beet pulp, primarily for use as animal feed. The factory now captures steam heat from its boilers, which was previously wasted, to dry 75 tons of pulp per hour, resulting in a substantial reduction of 40,000 tons of CO2 emissions.
Looking ahead, the possibility of generating energy from its processes is on the table. Cristal Union is experimenting with floating solar panels on its water storage basins in Corbeilles-en-Gâtinais and is exploring the idea of using beet pulp as a primary energy source instead of relying on natural gas for its boilers.
The leading French sugar group, Tereos, has also made strides in decarbonization, reporting a 28% reduction in water usage in its factories between 2019 and 2023, along with significant investments aimed at electrifying production processes.