Page 77 - Biorefinery 2030 Future Prospects for the Bioeconomy (2015)

2 Changes in the Environment that made the Bazancourt-Pomacle Biorefinery 45

The concept was very innovative because the plant was to transform chicory into
inulin during the chicory season and then, during the off-season, transform wheat
into glucose. The plant was designed and built while the quota negotiations were
under way, in the hope of obtaining them. Unfortunately, in 1992, the CHAMTOR
adventure did not start too well when the firm failed to obtain the inulin production
quotas it had hoped for. It did not have the right to produce, or at least not on the
scale for which it had been designed.
After an appeal to the European Commission, it eventually transpired that the
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process to transform chicory into inulin was extremely complex. Laboratory trials
had been very successful, but on the industrial scale, the inulin production process
turned out to be a disaster. In fact, the project had progressed from the laboratory to
industrial production too quickly, and had ignored the pilot phase.
Despite all the hard work of the staff, the plant did not manage to accelerate
production or to find clients, and after 2 years was near to collapse. Realising that
the future of CHAMTOR would not be in inulin, the management decided to
renovate the factory step-by-step and to specialise in wheat processing. This led
to several changes in the shareholders. Initially the project was supported by a
Belgian starch producer, Avebe. Then CHAMTOR was bought by the German
sugar group Pfeifer and Langen, which took up the challenge of transforming the
firm into an efficient, profitable starch and glucose producer.
Through hard work and heavy investment, the factory began to gather momen-
tum, increased its production, obtained market share and forged itself a place in the
starch sector.
Then, in 2007, Pfeifer and Langen decided to refocus on its core sector. It sold
CHAMTOR to CHAMPAGNE CEREALES. Today, 33 CHAMTOR, via Siclae ´,is
part of the VIVESCIA group. It processes 450,000 tonnes of Champagne-Ardenne
wheat.
Consistent with the notion of an integrated biorefinery, CHAMTOR delivers a
fermentation substrate 34 to CRISTANOL by pipeline, equivalent to 250,000 hl of
ethanol. Glucose produced by CHAMTOR is also used to develop new molecules.
The firm operates in French, European and world markets. Its customers are
confectioners, biscuit-makers, industrial bakers, pastry and cake makers,
ice-cream manufacturers, major animal and pet-food manufacturers, and paper
mills.
So as to avoid repeating early mistakes, the firm sought to smooth the passage
from laboratory trials to industrial production. The processes do not take place
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identically when the molecules are in a larger environment. For this reason, ARD
industrialised the laboratory process, investing 21 million euros, in 2011, in an
industrial demonstration unit, BIODEMO. Firms can use this unit to produce on a

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At the time, it was also necessary to train nearly 200 staff in a new activity.
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CHAMTOR is the fourth largest European corn starch producer.
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Liquid wheat.
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Due to calorific loss among other factors.