From British Columbia to Australia, the great progress our teams have made cutting emissions and saving energy has enabled us to meet our 2030 SBTi target to reduce scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions by 30% years ahead of schedule. This global achievement was the result of local efforts across Nutreco to reduce emissions as part of the climate and circularity pillar of our sustainability strategy.
Local actions have a major global impact on scope 1 and 2 emissions
Nutreco has invested €10 million in a sustainability fund solely allocated to emissions reduction. In addition, all Nutreco facilities have been purchasing electricity from renewable sources since 2024. And every business unit and operating company in Nutreco is pursuing a concrete plan for emissions reduction. Teams across the company are finding practical, innovative ways to cut energy use, switch to cleaner technologies, and adopt renewable power, efforts that have not only reduced emissions but also proven to be positive from a financial standpoint.
Tackling boiler emissions around the globe
Many of our businesses are cutting emissions by replacing aging or inefficient boilers and moving away from the use of fossil fuels when feasible alternatives exist.
In Australia, Skretting (Nutreco’s aquaculture business line) invested €1.83 million in its Cambridge plant to replace aging gas boilers with a modern electric boiler system. The new system reduces emissions by 8%, or 446 tonnes of CO₂, annually and delivers 20% more heating capacity. The system changeover represents the site’s single largest contribution to its three-year carbon emissions reduction plan.
In Poland, Trouw Nutrition (Nutreco’s livestock and pets business line) unveiled a state-of-the-art boiler house designed to help reduce over 820 tonnes of CO₂ annually – the same amount absorbed over one year by more than 100,000 trees. As part of the investment, the team installed solar panels and a modern heat pump. Together with Trouw Nutrition Poland’s commitment to purchase 100% renewable electricity, the project demonstrates how advanced technology and green energy can work hand in hand.
In North America, Trouw Nutrition is making steam boilers – the region’s largest source of emissions – more efficient by adding deaerators and upgrading burners to optimise their performance. The team has already cut emissions by more than 90 tonnes in one Canadian plant – the equivalent of over 50 round trip flights between London and New York. They are also optimising equipment in their poultry operations. At one farm in Quebec, they’re projected to reduce emissions by 232 tonnes annually through the installation of electric air exchangers. That’s enough CO2 to fill up 59 hot air balloons!
While retrofitting current systems is enabling North America to cut emissions in a financially viable way, they are building new facilities with the latest in green technology. For example, the region just opened its largest feed mill in Chilliwack, British Columbia. This state-of-the-art facility will improve efficiency and sustainability. It has 50% more production capacity with 20% less CO2 boiler energy consumption.
Skretting Chile has made significant progress eliminating coal consumption by installing a new liquefied gas boiler at its Pargua plant. This follows the team's success in lowering emissions at the operating company's Osorno plant, which has been operating an efficient biomass boiler for 15 years and uses sustainably sourced pellets and renewable electricity.
Challenging the status quo for energy savings
In Egypt, operating off grid for electricity and natural gas did not stop the Skretting team from driving efficiency. By upgrading power generating equipment, rethinking how they managed condensate, and harnessing the energy from steam, the facility reduced energy consumption by 45% in just six months. The result: 1.4 million kg less CO₂ emitted and €357,000 saved, with payback achieved in under a year.
Skretting Vancouver joined power company BC Hydro’s strategic energy management cohort to challenge themselves to uncover efficiency improvements. By adjusting the automation settings on kernel bin fans, tweaking a 30-horsepower vacuum pump and resetting temperature parameters on condensing units, the team saved 137,500 kWh annually – the equivalent of powering 12 homes for a year – and reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 1,460 kg of CO₂. The project showed how challenging the status quo can lead to big results with minimal investment.
Together, these projects prove that local action can make a huge contribution to global impact. By focusing on reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions, Nutreco is also strengthening operational resilience, driving efficiency and investing in cleaner technologies. And we won't stop here – teams across the company continue to find new and better ways to lower our emissions and operate in a more sustainable way.
Related Sustainable Development Goals
