Net Zero target is no longer mission impossible

Founded in 1962, BioMar employs 1,600 people and is one of the world’s top aquaculture companies, producing high-performance feeds for over 45 different aquatic species. With 17 production facilities supplying over 90 countries, BioMar operates in pristine areas where environmental sensitivity is high, so sustainability has always been at the core.

To release pressure on the marine environment, BioMar has significantly reduced the levels of wild fish used in feeds. In 1990, a typical salmon feed recipe contained 80% fish meal and fish oil. That figure has now been significantly reduced by 75%, but BioMar still wanted to adopt a much wider environmental focus, not only for the good of the planet and its people, but also to support their market credibility, trust, and reputation as a global aquaculture leader.

BioMar aimed to achieve a status of Net Zero within their own emissions, a state where the emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) added to the atmosphere is no more than the amount taken out. However, they did not want to join the ranks of organizations who just pay lip service to sustainability and ‘greenwash’ their operations. To maintain integrity, the plan was to align targets to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and do so as cost effectively as possible. The problem was that they just did not have the internal expertise or knowledge to follow this highly complex and multi-dimensional path to decarbonisation.

“We realized that we had limited knowledge of the energy markets, limited visibility on future taxation policies, and not much idea about the technology steps that could potentially take us toward a position of Net Zero within BioMar’s own emissions,” says Roger Hendry, BioMar’s Manufacturing & Technology Director. “To gain expertise, we approached a number of different vendors, but it was clear that Centrica Business Solutions had the weight of competence and wider market knowledge that other consultancies did not have.”

Solution

Centrica Business Solutions was asked to deliver a science-based pathway to Net Zero within BioMar’s own emissions for Scope 1 and 2 that would allow BioMar to align to SBTi and do that as cost effectively as possible. The Centrica Business Solutions’ Net Zero Consultancy Team first concentrated on the Scottish Grangemouth site to form a blueprint that could be scaled up for subsequent global roll-out. Centrica Business Solutions used their Energy Insights and Monitoring solution to obtain a granular view of existing energy usage and carbon emissions. Following workshops, it then used science-based targets to define various glide paths to Net Zero within BioMar’s own emissions, outlining the technologies that could be used and the financial implications of each.

Technical overview

The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change sets out two standards on global warming – the more stringent limiting it to below 1.5° above pre-industrial temperatures and the other being a stretch target of well below 2°. Covering both these options, the Centrica Business Solutions team offered six scenarios starting with current emissions and going down to Net Zero within BioMar’s own emissions at different rates and with different timelines. Engineers evaluated various technology and fuel options including hydrogen, electrification, solar and wind, and modelled optimum timelines and budgets for each.

Customer results

BioMar have announced their intention to set science-based targets in line with the stricter 1.5°C standard on emission reduction and to achieve Net Zero within their own emissions no later than 2050 across their global footprint, placing them at the forefront of the industry. Using 2020 figures as a baseline, they also plan to reduce the carbon footprint per tonne of feed produced by one-third by 2030.

“We have gone through the modelling exercise. We are relatively clear about the required technology steps, roughly when they are needed, and we know roughly what it is going to cost,” says Hendry. “Centrica Business Solutions has helped raise the understanding level across our senior management by setting out the key factors and core assumptions in their methodology. Now, we can better understand how the factors interplay and where and how we can steer the actions required to ensure we meet our carbon reduction aspirations. Centrica Business Solutions helped us clarify that this was not ‘mission impossible’.”

BioMar are now taking the first incremental steps toward achieving these aims. Their finalized SBTi plan will be submitted for validation and Centrica Business Solutions will then help them build a global strategy plan. Initial actions include the installation of new heat pumps and engaging with its supply chain on carbon reduction methods. There already are two tangible projects running and they expect to deploy electrification measures in Norway and Ecuador in the near future.

“We now have the security of knowing that the investments we make are correct on timing and return,” concludes Hendry. “It is complicated and very easy to make the wrong investments at the wrong time in the wrong place and that could have a major business impact. It’s good to have a trusted partner like Centrica Business Solutions with the external competence and market awareness to validate that what we are doing makes sense.”