First‑of‑its‑kind in France: Akiolis produces renewable energy from animal by‑products

Lunes, Abril 13, 2026

Akiolis, inaugurated at its St‑Langis‑lès‑Mortagne site the first biomass cogeneration facility in France powered by animal by‑products. This innovative industrial installation marks a major step in the site’s decarbonization strategy, reducing fossil energy consumption by 80% and producing renewable electricity injected into the public grid.

A circular and unprecedented process: transforming animal by‑products into renewable energy

The new installation addresses three key challenges.

  •  First, it significantly reduces the site’s dependence on fossil gas, with a decrease of 124 GWh per year, at a time when energy availability and costs are increasingly affected by an unstable international context.

  •  Second, it enables the local valorization of animal by‑products generated on site. All animal by‑products produced at St‑Langis‑lès‑Mortagne (29,000 tonnes per year), previously transported to cement plants, are now valorized directly on site. This change eliminates around 800 truck journeys per year, reducing costs, road traffic and environmental impact.

  •  Third, the installation allows Akiolis to produce its own renewable electricity. The turbine generates 9,300 MWh per year, which is injected into the Enedis grid. This positions Akiolis as a local contributor to the energy transition and strengthens the long‑term resilience of the site.

“By transforming our animal by‑products into renewable energy for direct use in our industrial processes, while also injecting electricity back into the grid, we create a truly virtuous and sustainable cycle that strengthens our circular‑economy approach and our mission, Révélateur de valeur, ” says Gilles Cogny, Managing Director of AKIOLIS.

 

An innovative technology based on three key stages

  • Gasification of animal by‑products at 750°C without oxygen, producing a combustible gas;

  • Combustion of this gas in a new‑generation oxidizer, generating heat while simultaneously treating odors (15 tonnes per hour of vapors treated);

  • Recovery of heat in a boiler producing high‑pressure steam to drive a turbine, in order to:

    • supply the low‑pressure steam required by the site’s cookers;

    • generate 1.6 MW of renewable electricity, equivalent to 9.3 GWh per year, injected into the Enedis grid.

 

This initiative is a natural extension of the expertise Akiolis has developed, always with a focus on zero waste.