DCP Ingredients factory to reuse its own CO2 emissions

The DCP factory uses residual flows from the meat industry as a raw material for their production process. From these animal proteins, collagen is extracted. This collagen product is used, amongst other things, in the food industry as a binding agent. DCP have found a lot of success with this. In the space of a decade, they have established themselves as a company with a turnover of millions, exporting to customers in over thirty countries across the globe.

Low energy consumption

Last year, DCP commissioned a brand-new product line for the ‘nutraceutical’ – or health food-industry. They now also produce ingredients for food supplements, to be used in hospitals, fitness centres and more. “Why?” says Ten Kate. “Because we’re always looking for the highest added value. We have developed a new production method for this, with very low energy consumption.” 

This is already a big step towards sustainable production. But the pièce de résistance within this new process has yet to be revealed: DCP will reuse its own CO2 emissions. “We are now investigating the optimal way to do this” continues Ten Kate.” I believe you should do everything possible to reduce emissions. It’s not just important for People and the Planet, it’s also healthy for Profit.” 

Win-win

Ten Kate underlines that sustainability and cost-effectiveness in production are no longer conflicting factors. With the rising costs of fossil-fuel energy, and of CO2 emission charges, it is becoming increasingly logical for firms to move towards climate neutrality. For Jacques ten Kate, this is critical point for business leadership. “The transition calls for ambition and entrepreneurship. When I hear of companies aiming to be climate neutral by 2050, I think: you have no plan, no vision.” 

But DCP Ingredients does have vision. Its innovative production system uses CO2 as a base for the acid required for their collagen products, instead of the standard nitric or hydrochloric acid. “We developed the process ourselves. The CO2 mineralizes to calcium carbonate. We use the acid to separate fat and protein into collagen.” 

Reuse CO2 emissions

Currently, the required CO2 is supplied from Pernis, outside Rotterdam. That will change in the near future. Ten Kate’s vision is to use the CO2 from his factory chimney and thus kill two birds with one stone: No more emissions pumped into the environment, and no more CO2–transportation. That’s a win for the climate, and a win for the balance sheet.