Damien

"Starting in June 2025, 72% of the steam used in industrial processes at Laïta’s Créhen site will be decarbonized thanks to the commissioning of a biomass boiler. This installation, with an annual capacity of 9 MW, will generate 57,600 MWh of thermal energy in the form of steam—equivalent to the consumption of nearly 6,000 households. It will help reduce our dependence on natural gas and save 12,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year. This project is the result of collaboration between several partners: Guyot Énergies, as investor, supplies the 17,000 tonnes of end-of-life wood required annually to run the boiler. This wood, collected from nearby recycling centers, is processed and reused as fuel. Dalkia, which served as the project manager during the design and construction phases, will handle daily operations of the boiler. Laïta, as the end-user, will consume the energy produced by the biomass system.

For the past two years, I’ve been coordinating between all partners to ensure the project ran smoothly, paying close attention to timelines and safety requirements. Laïta has invested over one million euros to integrate the biomass boiler’s output into its industrial processes. As project leader, my role was to ensure the hydraulic and electrical interconnection of this new boiler with the site's two existing gas boilers. A new manifold was installed to centralize regulation of the three boilers and adjust steam production according to site needs. Electrically, a new automation system was installed to gather boiler data and maximize the use of decarbonized steam. The goal is to prioritize steam from the biomass boiler and only rely on gas boilers when necessary. The main challenge of this project was completing all the work while minimizing disruption to production. Over four months, we carried out electrical, hydraulic, and automation work with only 8 hours of planned downtime—an impressive achievement. This was made possible thanks to the commitment of the operational teams, technical departments, and Laïta’s technical management, all while strictly adhering to safety regulations and internal procedures."