Nordzucker Post 4/2023 - 8 November 2023

Lars Gorissen: Focus on sustainability

Dear readers,

Here and there you can see them on the edges of fields: the beet clamps. Elsewhere, the sugar beet has already been transported to the factories. Sugar production from domestic beet is running at full speed in all of our 13 European factories. “Business as usual”, you might think. But every campaign is different and brings with it different challenges, which our growers and service providers as well as our employees are mastering with a wealth of ideas and full commitment.

We expect a Group-wide beet harvest above the level of the last five years. As a result of the weather conditions, we have exceptionally high beet yields and very low sugar content at the same time. For sugar cane at our Australian locations, we are also harvesting a higher quantity of cane than expected.

The sugar price on the volatile global market continues to be very pleasing. This is having a positive effect on prices in Europe and, together with the results of our efficiency measures and good business management, is reflected in our exceptionally good half-year results. We are using the good financial situation to press ahead with important sustainability projects. Over the next five years, we will be investing around 300 million euros in projects under our GoGreen program. In addition to phasing out coal for energy production, examples include the new extraction tower in Uelzen, which will ensure better sugar extraction and greater energy efficiency from autumn 2024, and the “vapour recompression” in Nordstemmen, which will allow steam to be used several times in the sugar house and evaporation station, thus saving around 11,000 tons of CO₂. We have also started building a new sugar silo in Nordstemmen. Optimized logistics, more flexible customer deliveries and, last but not least, reduced CO₂ emissions thanks to optimized transport routes are the reasons for the new silo construction.

We have reached an important milestone in our sustainability strategy with the recognition of our emissions reduction targets for 2030 by the Science Based Target initiative. Nordzucker is committed to reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions from its own production (Scope 1) and from purchased energy (Scope 2) by 50.4 percent by 2030 compared to the base year 2018. The targets are in line with the 1.5°C warming target. 

An important next step will be to co-construct with our beet growers to find practicable solutions for reducing CO₂ in beet cultivation. Let’s work on this together.

Nordzucker.Together.Sustainable.

Best regards to you,

Your Lars Gorissen