Ofi powers up cocoa processing factories with upcycled cocoa shells

04 Jul 2023 --- Olam food ingredients (ofi) has installed two new bio boilers for its cocoa processing factories in the Netherlands and Germany to craft cocoa ingredients for its premium brand, deZaan. The boilers use cocoa shells, a by-product of the production process as fuel to generate steam for the processing of the cocoa ingredients.

The new roll-out adds to the circular biomass shell boilers used in ofi cocoa factories in Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia and Singapore.

“The business is making cost savings from using less gas and disposing of cocoa shells,” an ofi spokesperson tells Food Ingredients First.

“Installing the shell boilers means that we can turn a natural by-product of the cocoa production process into a fuel for our processing operations, creating a circular process that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of cocoa.” 

The taste and quality of the end products remain the same, as does the production process used. “The only difference is that we are using a natural by-product – cocoa shells – to generate the steam that powers our production process,” says the spokesperson. 

Powered by steam
The second boiler at ofi’s factory in Mannheim, Germany, has been developed through a joint venture with energy company MVV. It has the potential to provide up to 90% of the steam needed to power the facility, saving approximately 8,000 metric tons of CO2 annually. 

“This circular biomass boiler has set a strong example of how companies can decarbonize their operations. Implementing this feat of engineering, together with ofi, was not without its challenges; however, it has been worthwhile to support our vision for a climate-neutral future by 2040 and break new ground in the process,” says Ralf Klöpfer, sales director at MVV Energie AG.

MVV is committed to becoming one of the first energy companies in Germany to be “climate positive.” The move is part of ofi’s Cocoa Compass initiative, which has set goals toward sustainability, including a 30% reduction in natural capital costs by 2030. 

The boiler at Koog aan de Zaan, The Netherlands, was partly funded by a subsidy from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and took over four years from concept to completion. It will reduce natural gas usage and CO2 emissions at the facility by 50%.Ofi recently launched its segregated organic cocoa beans range.

“These innovative boilers are key in reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions. We’re also playing our part to accelerate the climate agenda of the EU Green Deal, in which moving to a more circular economy is fundamental,” explains Susanne Folkerts, global operations head of sustainability and environment at ofi. 

The path to sustainable cocoa
Introducing shell boilers is one aspect of ofi’s sustainability efforts. The company also recently launched its first segregated organic cocoa range, which is processed at the Koog facility. 

“The beans from our deZaan Organic cocoa powder and butter are naturally sourced from organic certified farms before being carefully traced through the transportation process to ensure that the integrity of the organic certification is maintained,” says ofi’s spokesperson.  

“Upon arrival at our facility in the Netherlands, the beans are then handled and specially segregated to ensure complete separation.”

As the F&B industry faces unprecedented climate change challenges and consumer desires shift toward clean label products, producers and manufacturers are looking toward sustainable alternatives for their traditional ingredients. 

Climate progress
In 2022, ofi used 8,000 metric tons of residual cocoa shells to generate green energy equivalent to using 3.4 million cubic meters of natural gas. This reduced absolute CO2 emissions at the facility by 23%, comparable to warming more than 30,002 homes a year. 

In 2021, the company reduced costs in its global cocoa processing operations by 11% per metric ton of product output from processing, partly due to its network of biomass shell boilers. 

By Inga de Jong