Grid constraints needn't mean decarbonisation delays

FARMER-OWNED starch and plant protein cooperative Royal Avebe has partnered with Schneider Electric to electrify its Foxhol site in the Netherlands, without the need to reinforce the existing grid connection. The Foxhol complex houses several starch derivatives production facilities and supplies utilities to neighbouring third parties.

Electricity grid congestion has become one of Europe's biggest obstacles to industrial decarbonisation. In the Netherlands alone, more than 14,000 businesses are waiting for the grid capacity they need to expand, electrify or decarbonise, with waits of up to a decade in some cases.

Plant becomes active prosumer on local grid

At the Foxhol production plant, the two companies have installed a new industrial electric boiler and eliminated fossil-fuel heating, while turning the plant into an active energy prosumer that supports grid balancing. The approach creates headroom on the local network for other businesses and renewable generators to connect.

Schneider Electric's Advisory Services team designed a system that consolidates data from more than 1,000 points across the Foxhol site, including 542 smart medium-voltage relays, into a single operational view. When grid demand rises, the system automatically shifts electrical loads to operate within the site's contracted grid limits and technical constraints. When renewable energy is abundant and local grid demand is low, the plant absorbs the surplus and actively supports grid stability.

This electrification roadmap directly contributes to Avebe’s climate targets, including 30% emissions reduction by 2030 and continuous 1.5% annual energy‑efficiency improvement.

"Further electrifying our production processes is an important step in making our operations more sustainable," said Joyce de Vries-Pieterman, director of communication and public affairs at Avebe. "We're demonstrating that it is possible to make concrete progress toward more energy-efficient production within the limits of our existing grid connection."

To deliver the project, Schneider Electric integrated several layers of its EcoStruxure platform with the site's existing infrastructure. The deployment combines distributed control, real-time load management, operator HMI, engineering configuration tools and AVEVA PI System integration, consolidating more than 1,000 data points from 542 smart medium-voltage relays and legacy devices into a single operational view.

A replicable model for industrial Europe

The approach has potential applications well beyond Foxhol. Other energy-intensive industrial sites across Europe - particularly in food and beverage, chemicals and paper - face similar grid constraints, and the combination of load management, energy data integration and prosumer operation offers a route to decarbonising operations without waiting for large-scale grid reinforcement. Avebe and Schneider have indicated that the next phase at Foxhol will look at integrating on-site renewable generation and IIoT asset monitoring, building on the digital infrastructure already in place.

"What Avebe has achieved at Foxhol is a proof of concept for industrial Europe. Grid constraints need not mean decarbonisation delays," explained Neil Smith, president of consumer-packaged goods at Schneider Electric. "With the right combination of electrification, open automation, and digital intelligence, manufacturers can act now."

For more information: 

www.se.com

Tel: +44 370 608 8608