Umicore creates advanced materials for everyday applications, and we aim to produce them in the most sustainable way possible. The energy that powers the activities and production processes on our site comes from wind turbines and a cogeneration unit.
Cogeneration (CHP)
Since 2010, we have been using a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) installation to produce both electricity and steam. By generating both at the same time, the system uses significantly less primary energy than producing electricity and steam separately.
Today, around 80% of the electricity used on our site is green energy. The remaining 20% is grey electricity generated by our CHP installation.
Green electricity
We use green electricity generated by both onshore and offshore wind turbines in Belgium, including wind turbines from Engie on site that have been supplying us with renewable energy since 2018.
In 2024, an additional turbine was added. Once fully operational, these turbines will jointly produce up to 30,000 MWh of green electricity. This will meet around 50% of our total electricity needs and reduce our CO₂ emissions by 4,000 tonnes each year.
Energy-efficient production processes
In sustainable operations, green energy and energy‑efficient production processes go hand in hand. Thanks to the commitment and expertise of our engaged teams, we regularly implement improvements that help reduce our overall energy consumption.