Brice-Audren Riché, CEO of Lesaffre, and Catherine MacGregor, CEO of ENGIE, inaugurated a fatal heat recovery unit on Tuesday, October 7, in Marcq-en-Barœul, at Lesaffre’s historic yeast plant. The two heat pumps enable the heat generated by the fermentation process to be reused, covering 70% of the plant’s heating needs. Each year, this prevents 30,000 tons of CO₂ emissions and saves 150,000 cubic meters of water.
Lesaffre, key global player in fermentation and microorganisms for over 170 years, is celebrating the commissioning of a fatal heat recovery unit at the heart of the Group’s largest yeast plant, Société Industrielle Lesaffre (SIL) in Marcq-en-Barœul, France. Entrusted to ENGIE Solutions for 15 years, this ambitious project includes the design, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of this recovery unit.
An achievement in line with Lesaffre’s CSR commitment
Lesaffre has been involved in reducing its carbon footprint for several years, by seeking to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and significantly reducing its water consumption. Driven by a desire to innovate by systematically integrating social and environmental values into each of its initiatives, the Group is committed to sustainable and responsible growth.
“Today’s inauguration of this fatal heat recovery unit is a concrete illustration of the approach we have been committed to at Lesaffre for several years: producing responsibly by limiting our CO2 emissions and water consumption. We are aware that our company must play an active role in the transition to more environmentally friendly industrial models and that growth can only be profitable in the long term if it is sustainable. Decarbonizing our historic site in Marcq-en-Barœul is another significant step forward in reducing our carbon footprint.” comments Brice-Audren Riché, CEO of Lesaffre.
“Through this partnership, we are supporting an industrial company that is firmly committed to energy and environmental performance. The collaborative work between the ENGIE Solutions and Lesaffre teams has made it possible to bring a virtuous project to reality: guaranteeing a competitive energy supply while significantly reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Fatal heat is a considerable resource, and its exploitation is of strategic importance for both sovereignty and energy efficiency.” says Frank Lacroix, Deputy CEO of ENGIE, in charge of Local Energy Infrastructures activities.
Recycling fatal heat to power the production process
The main purpose of this installation is to recover the fatal heat naturally produced by yeast fermentation. The energy recovered by the two heat pumps, with a total capacity of 19 MWth, is used to power another important stage in the yeast production process: drying. By avoiding the emission of 30,000 tons of CO₂ per year while saving 150,000 m³ of water, the unit reduces the site’s carbon footprint. Winner of the ADEME’s call for projects for the decarbonization of industry, this bold initiative has received €5.6 million in subsidies.
“I am very proud of this facility, which once again demonstrates our ability to combine industrial performance with environmental responsibility. With its century of expertise, Société Industrielle Lesaffre offers the ideal setting to bring the Group’s decarbonization ambitions to life,” says Julie Bethry, Director of Société Industrielle Lesaffre.
This project is part of a series of initiatives undertaken by Lesaffre over several years, including a biomass plant at the LIS by Lesaffre site in Cérences (Normandy), photovoltaic panels in the Czech Republic, and the signing in 2023 and 2024 of direct purchase of renewable electricity (CPPA) to supply renewable energy to production sites in France.
In September 2025, Lesaffre received the silver medal from EcoVadis, the international rating agency that assesses companies in four categories: environment, human and labor rights, ethics, and responsible procurement. Lesaffre scored 72/100, an improvement of 13 points since its last assessment. This score places Lesaffre among the top 15% of international companies in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility as assessed by EcoVadis. This recognition reflects Lesaffre’s ongoing efforts to integrate sustainability and ethics into the core of its practices.
