About the project

Croda is the name behind the high-performance ingredients in some of the biggest, most successful brands in the world, creating products that are relied on by industries and consumers worldwide. Innovation runs through every aspect of our business, using creativity to build exciting ideas into practical solutions that add value by addressing people's unmet needs.

The 3,500+ Croda employees work across our 18 manufacturing sites and in offices in over 30 countries. They create local teams that form one global network who work together to inspire and influence each other, and our customers, to understand diverse markets and deliver the right solution.

For various products the Croda production site in Gouda uses fatty acids that are produced on site by hydrolysis of natural oils and fats. Glycerine-water, the co-product of this process will be converted to biogas in an anaerobic digestion plant. The renewable fuel biogas will partly replace natural gas for the production of steam and electrical power for the site.

Digestion of the glycerine-water will avoid the energy intensive concentration step and combined with a redesigned main boiler and CHP system an overall reduction in CO2 emission of 25% will be achieved. Hence the project name "Quarterback".

This project combines a large scale anaerobic digestion of a single source feedstock, an economical design requiring very high conversion rates and a very large upscaling factor with far reaching process integration. Thanks to the innovative aspects of this project it has been accepted as demonstration project under the EU LIFE+ scheme with the general objective to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental and climate policy and legislation by co-financing projects with European added value.

The process and detailed design are well on their way, the necessary permits have been received and construction has started. Commissioning of the new unit is scheduled for late 2015 or early 2016. The EU LIFE+ demonstration period ends mid-term 2017.

Click here for the Notice Board displayed near the building site.