Veolia has made a significant stride in sustainability by integrating a new distillate product into its operations at the Garston facility in Liverpool, which now saves 12GWh of gas annually.
This innovative approach, part of Veolia’s GreenUp programme, aims to reduce the facility’s carbon footprint by substituting natural gas with a fuel derived from solvent recovery processes, cutting down 2,500 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
The Garston site, known for converting industrial waste into high-quality recycled products, has expanded its operations to meet the increasing demand from sectors like pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and agrochemicals.
This expansion meant a substantial steam plant was needed, so Veolia say they went out to find environmentally friendly fuel alternatives to natural gas.
A pilot project was initiated to develop and test this new fuel, ensuring it met operational standards without compromising on production quality or output.
The successful testing led to the implementation of a versatile steam plant capable of running on various fuels—from solvent-derived fuels to potentially green hydrogen in the future.
Nicola Henshaw, Managing Director Hazardous at Veolia said: “By transitioning from theory to practice, our teams have demonstrated that industrial steam plants can effectively shift away from fossil fuels without affecting production.
“This innovation not only significantly reduces our gas consumption but also marks a critical step towards achieving net zero targets.”
