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Olam Food Ingredients (Ofi) has installed two circular biomass boilers at its cocoa processing factories in the Netherlands and Germany. By using cocoa shells – a by-product of the cocoa production process – as fuel, the boilers generate steam to facilitate the creation of cocoa ingredients from Ofi's premium cocoa ingredients brand, deZaan, at its factories in Koog aan de Zaan, Netherlands, and Mannheim, Germany, where the latter will be the first cocoa shell boiler in the country. According to Ofi, the boiler at Koog aan de Zaan will reduce natural gas usage and CO2 emissions at the facility by 50%. Meanwhile, the second boiler at the Mannheim site has the potential to provide up to 90% of the steam required to power the facility, resulting in an estimated annual reduction of approximately 8,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually. The move aligns with Ofi’s commitment to sustainable cocoa, 'Cocoa Compass', which sets ambitious goals, including a 30% reduction in natural capital costs by 2030.

Susanne Folkerts, global operations head of sustainability and environment at Ofi, said: “We’re taking action to protect the planet and unlock value for our customers so that they can offer their consumers more sustainable choices. From the support we give to farmers worldwide to how we turn their cocoa into high-quality ingredients in our processing factories."

She continued: "These innovative boilers are key in reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions and making our 'Cocoa Compass' ambition real. 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. We’re thrilled to have been recognised by the Dutch government as a sustainability innovation leader and hope that other manufacturing businesses are inspired to invest in circular biomass as part of their decarbonisation journeys.”