Electrification in practice
Accelerating sustainability together
Healthy Earth
At Aviko Rixona, we are working step by step towards one clear goal: by 2030, we aim to have reduced our CO₂ emissions by 65 percent compared to 2021. We are not pursuing this through one major intervention, but by continuously identifying opportunities for improvement. Sometimes this requires major investments, sometimes smart adjustments to existing processes – and often a combination of both. Together with suppliers and distributors, we set up projects to accelerate sustainability throughout the value chain. At the same time, a comprehensive Scope 1 and 2 roadmap ensures that our production process becomes increasingly energy-efficient and sustainable. An important milestone within this approach is the commissioning of our new electric boiler in Warffum in 2025.
Reliability and continuity
Jeroen Zwietering, Energy Transition Manager at Aviko Rixona:
“Steam is an essential part of our production process. For many years, we generated this steam almost entirely using natural gas. That was reliable, but increasingly misaligned with our sustainability ambitions. That is why we are investing in electrification, smartly switching between energy sources and gradually adapting our energy system – without compromising the continuity of our process.”
In 2023, we took the first step in Venray with the installation of an e-boiler, which we commissioned in 2024. This was exciting: new technology, a different way of working, and a greater dependence on the electricity grid than we were used to. But the results were convincing. Gas consumption in Venray decreased by approximately 20 percent in 2025.
This experience gave us the confidence to take the same step in Warffum. With the e-boiler that became operational there at the end of 2025, we expect to save an additional 10 percent in gas consumption. This means we now have the ability to produce steam electrically at two locations.
Smart switching for a stable energy grid
Electrification may sound straightforward, but in practice we also encounter limitations. The Dutch electricity grid is under pressure, and electricity supply and demand fluctuate significantly. This requires flexibility. That is why we opted for a hybrid approach. When sufficient or surplus (green) electricity is available, we produce our steam entirely electrically. When the grid is overloaded due to higher demand than supply, we temporarily switch back to natural gas. In this way, we limit the burden on the electricity grid and leave capacity available for other users.
We did not develop this approach on our own. In collaboration with the grid operator and another large industrial company that also works with e-boilers, we found a solution that is both sustainable and practically feasible. It is precisely this collaboration that makes it possible to achieve sustainability in a way that remains viable in the long term.
Looking ahead: green gas from residual streams
For us, e-boilers are not the end point. We continue to look ahead to the next steps in our roadmap. One key project is the planned green gas installation in Venray, which we aim to commission in 2028. With this installation, we convert residual streams from our production process into green gas. This further reduces our dependence on fossil energy and makes our energy use even more sustainable.
Step by step towards sustainability
By using energy more intelligently, reusing residual streams and deploying green electricity, we structurally reduce our gas consumption and CO₂ emissions. Sustainability is not a straight line. We test, learn, adjust and collaborate. In this way, we are building a future-proof production process step by step.