The future-proof bakery; we see value in that

On June 5, FHI organizes the Energy in Industry event in the Basilica in Veenendaal. Wim Kannegieter, director of the Dutch Association for Bakery (NVB), talks about sustainability and electrification within the bakery sector.

Wim has been the director of the NVB since 2012. He says that the industrial bakery sector distinguishes itself by its energy consumption. “People think that baking bread uses a lot of energy.” He admits that this is true, but that it should be put into context.

Within the bakery sector, the industrial branch is the largest consumer. But when you place this within the energy consumption of the entire Dutch food industry, twelve percent of this is accounted for by the industrial bakery.

“Bread and other grain products have a relatively low environmental impact compared to animal staple foods such as dairy and meat.”[1]

The basic product, grain, has a very low environmental impact. In addition, there is virtually no waste during the production of bread.

Sustainability

The bakery sector is actively committed to the transition from gas to electricity. This transition is taking place on the one hand through process optimization and sustainability and on the other hand by switching from gas ovens to electric ovens.

Here the bakers immediately encounter the biggest challenge: grid congestion. Wim: “When the bakery sector wants to become locally more sustainable, this is often not possible due to grid congestion.” And in addition, grid congestion cannot be solved by “tools such as solar energy and wind turbines”. The industrial bakery is a continuous process that must be able to operate independently of hours of sunshine and wind. “The bakery needs 24/7 capacity.”

At approximately 60 locations, 90 percent of Dutch bread is baked. These are industrial bakeries that produce bread on a large scale. To guarantee this continuous production, a considerable amount of energy is needed.

During his presentation for the Energy in Industry event, Wim will discuss the role that the NVB plays in the sustainability process of the bakery. “We have been working on this since the Paris climate agreement (2015),” says Wim. The NVB focuses on the question of how the sustainability process will develop and how local bakeries should get started with it. And then mainly: “how do you ensure that you can still produce in the future?”

“Ultimately,” Wim argues, “the extent to which a company becomes more sustainable will change from a unique selling point in a license to operate.” Whereby he indicates that we have actually already reached the second phase. “An industrial bakery that is not currently busy with the organization of its business systems to be able to comply with the CSRD guidelines[2], makes itself an impossible partner for wholesalers. Supermarkets and catering wholesalers have a reporting obligation and will make demands on their suppliers.”

The NVB is emphatically focusing on this. There is a transition period until 2030, during which, among other things, the members of the NVB have time to optimize the existing systems. "The bakeries must seize this time to look for improvements within the existing structure." Then comes the big step from gas to electricity.

“The switching of supply and demand is the key issue.”

The NVB realised early on that this is a challenge. Wim sees a clear capacity problem here. Technically, various machine builders have come up with solutions to switch to an electric oven. Good alternatives can also be found in the Netherlands. The problem lies in the supply of sufficient capacity. The challenge lies in the fact that the amount of energy contained in gas is higher than in electricity. And to be able to bake bread, you need a considerable amount of energy. The result is that an industrial bakery needs a relatively large amount of electricity. And the capacity for this is not currently available.

We are in a new reality with high energy prices and sustainability projects towards electrification. The bakery has to change and we are faced with the challenge of being able to guarantee our daily bread for the future.

Want to know more? During the Energy in Industry event, Wim Kannegieter will tell more about sustainability and electrification within the bakery sector. Visit the website for more information and to register for a free visit.

[1] A Good Story: Bread's Impact on the Environment | NBC

[2] European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) Mandatory sustainability reporting: this is what it means | KVK