Industrial chemical plants need lots of energy to run. Therefore these economics actors pay a particularly attention to energy future. Interesting for the IMAGINE concept is the approach of SOLVAY. This chemical company runs a large plant near Besancon, at Tavaux. Because of its size, the industry activities of this site are very much linked and integrated to the territory and within the local governance.

© Photography by Henri Bertand

As following of its commitment to sustainable development and as part of its long-term strategy, Solvay has been actively contributing to develop alternatives to fossil fuel in its own plants. In Tavaux, a co-generation project is being run, while a biomass fuelled power station is already active. In Germany, non-recyclable residues are used as fuel for a power station in the Bernburg plant.

Besides this, Solvay is also one of the main contributors to the SolarImpulse project, which is a long-range solar plane project currently under study. This project is being presented in an exhibition at the Saline Royal in Arc-et-Senans, where the IMAGINE annual seminars take place.

For more information on Solvay's approach to sustainability, click here.