It’s unprecedented in France: a rendering plant in Orne can now produce its own gas and has almost reached the maximum level of energy self-sufficiency. A biomass cogeneration unit was inaugurated on Thursday, April 9, 2026. In the midst of the crisis in oil and gas markets, some industries are investing to find other energy sources. An example in Orne near Saint-Langis-les-Mortagne, near Alençon, where a rendering plant now produces its own gas, a first in France. The gas is produced from animal flours that come out of this plant. The project was launched before the war in the Middle East, but its inauguration on Thursday, April 9, comes at the perfect time. More than 160,000 tons of waste are processed every year by the Akiolis plant in Saint-Langis. Fabrice Vigne, the director, explains when handling pig and poultry carcasses: “We will grind this material, cook it, evaporate the water. Then we will separate the fat from the solid parts.” What about the by-products? Pet food, biofuels, fertilizers, and animal flour. The product is sifted to resemble sand. Until now, these flours were sent to cement plants to feed the furnaces. Now, they will be stored at the plant to produce gas in a new installation. Gas for the plant and for injection into the network. The gas will then generate steam, essential for the plant, but will also allow the production of electricity to be sent back to the network. For the site director, this is an excellent way to decarbonize its activities and protect itself from the energy crisis: “By using fossil energies, natural gas, petroleum of course, the future will be increasingly complicated. It also guarantees us a stable, controlled supply of the energies necessary for our activity. We will be almost self-sufficient.” The company aims to reduce its natural gas consumption by 80%. [Context: A rendering plant in France has implemented a new biomass cogeneration unit to produce its own gas from animal flours. This move comes amidst global oil and gas market crises. Fact Check: The company aims to reduce its natural gas consumption by 80%.]
