Founded in 1829, Daudruy, a family business, has been refining edible oil since the 1960s. From 2008, it has been an important stakeholder in the energy sector with the production of biodiesel. Daudruy has recently announced that it will join the Dunkirk heat network—which, until now, has been powered by ArcelorMittal—by creating an “energy hub”, unique in France, in partnership with the Energy Recovery Centre (CVE), the Greater Dunkirk Urban Council and Energie Grand Littoral (the network operator, Dalkia group).
Today, the company is embarking on a very important biomethanation project with a partner, under the name of Nord-Métha. Its oil refinery
and biodiesel production process (now from 80% used frying oil) means it holds a large pool of materials that can be methanised with a view to producing biogas particularly from glycerine, but also fat soils and sludge from the oils purification. The biomethanation plant is designed to to possibly inject 700nm3 of biogas per day over time. Initially, however, production will be half of that. The brief examination phase has finished and the Nord-Métha articles of association have just been filed. Construction of the biomethanation unit is scheduled to start in spring 2020. The company employs 180 members of staff and now recycles more than 95% of its waste.
