Decarbonization, electrification, energy performance: Cémoi activates its energy shield with GreenYellow
The Cémoi Group, France’s leading chocolatier and a major player in the cocoa-chocolate sector, and GreenYellow, an international leader in decentralized energy transition, announce the strengthening of their collaboration with a new Energy Efficiency Agreement (EEA) at the Bourbourg industrial site in the Hauts-de-France region. It is under the impetus of AREC Occitanie that the partnership relationship between Cémoi and GreenYellow was born, which is now strengthened by this new structuring project.
Following the success of the first EPC implemented at the Torremilla site, this new project marks a further step in the chocolate group's strategy of decarbonization, electrification and energy optimization.
The first EPC, with a duration of seven years, aimed to modernize the installations at the Torremilla site and improve its energy performance. As part of this project, GreenYellow managed the entire value chain, from studies and design to financing, implementation, and energy performance monitoring. The company installed a new boiler room incorporating a 600 kW heat pump and implemented heat recovery systems, while also managing the HVAC equipment through a new supervision system. Two chillers were also replaced with a more efficient dry cooler.
Commissioned in January 2026, this installation now enables the site to generate 3.6 GWh of energy savings per year, representing nearly a 16% reduction in energy consumption, and to avoid 105 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. These results led the Cémoi Group to renew its trust in GreenYellow to support the energy transformation of a second industrial site.
A comprehensive modernization of industrial utilities in Bourbourg: compressed air, cooling, and heat recovery
The Bourbourg plant is one of the Cémoi Group’s major industrial sites, specializing in cocoa processing and the production of liquid chocolate, cocoa powder, and chocolate ingredients for the food industry. With 12 process lines, an annual production of more than 35,000 tonnes, and nearly 200 employees, this site plays a central role in the group’s industrial performance.
As part of a new eight-year EEA, GreenYellow is supporting Cémoi in transforming the site’s energy utilities to improve energy efficiency, reduce its environmental footprint, and further electrify certain uses.
The project initially focused on modernizing the compressed air system, with the installation of high-efficiency oil-injected screw compressors, equipped with an air dryer and process dry coolers. The recovered heat is recovered to supply storage tanks, and all installations are controlled via intelligent supervision. This first phase, commissioned in December 2025, generates 0.9 GWh of energy savings per year and avoids 70 tonnes of CO₂ annually.
The contract also includes the modernization of the industrial cooling system, with the installation of three ammonia chillers and two additional dry coolers. The recovered heat will also be reused for the storage tanks. The commissioning of this second phase is scheduled for January 2027, enabling the site to achieve an additional 0.9 GWh of annual energy savings and reduce CO₂ emissions by 46 tonnes per year.
Thanks to these measures and the electrification of uses, the plant will benefit from more efficient and better-controlled installations, contributing to a lasting improvement in energy efficiency and operational reliability.
A partnership supporting industrial decarbonization
This new contract is part of the Cémoi Group's strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of its industrial activities. The solutions deployed by GreenYellow — modernization of utilities, recovery of recovered heat and intelligent management of energy uses — make it possible to sustainably improve the site's energy efficiency and support the energy transition of the group's industrial activities.
“The success of the first Energy Efficiency Agreement at our Torremilla site has convinced us to renew our trust in GreenYellow. With this new project in Bourbourg, we are continuing the energy transformation of our plants to sustainably reduce our carbon footprint and strengthen the performance of our industrial assets. In a complex and highly competitive market, marked by energy price volatility, GreenYellow helps us secure our costs and preserve our competitiveness,” says Stéphane Joubert, in charge of industrial projects within the Cémoi Group.
“We are proud to once again support the Cémoi Group in its decarbonization and energy transformation goals for its industrial sites. This project illustrates the quality of our collaboration and our shared commitment to taking concrete action toward a more energy-efficient and responsible industry, particularly through the electrification of uses and improved energy performance of equipment,” adds Claire Chastrusse, Director of Energy Efficiency Programs at GreenYellow France.
ABOUT GREENYELLOW
GreenYellow, a French company founded in 2007, has become over 19 years a major player in decentralized energy transition in France and internationally, and a true partner for the Commercial & Industrial (C&I) sectors as well as the public sector in their decarbonization journey and quest for energy independence.
An expert in energy efficiency programs and the electrification of uses, as well as in decentralized solar photovoltaic production and energy storage, GreenYellow supports companies across the entire value chain. The group ensures studies, design, financing, development, and operation of assets, enabling its clients to reduce their energy consumption, electrify their processes, and produce green, local, and competitive energy, while strengthening their overall competitiveness.
In 2025, the projects carried out by GreenYellow helped avoid the emission of almost 646,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent. The group also aims to achieve carbon neutrality (“Net Zero”) for scopes 1 and 2 by 2040.
Operating in some 15 countries across 4 continents, GreenYellow innovates by constantly enriching its unique and global platform of offers to support its 1,400 clients in their transition to a more sustainable energy model and meet the challenges of climate change. 🔗 www.greenyellow.com/en
ABOUT CÉMOI
The Cémoi Group has more than 1,800 employees in France, where it concentrates 7 production units. It is one of the major players in the chocolate industry and close to the supply sector: the Group collects the best conventional and organic cocoa beans as directly as possible from the growers and processes them mainly in France. In 2024, it achieved turnover of 760 million euros.
CÉMOI sets itself apart through full mastery of its supply chain, ensuring complete traceability of its products—from the cocoa pod to the finished product in all its forms. The company supports local producers in the world’s key cocoa-growing regions and expands its operations across various markets: industrial chocolate users, professional users (chocolatiers, pastry chefs, restaurateurs, and institutional clients), as well as retail sales of finished products under its own brands or as private-label offerings.
Since 2021, CÉMOI has been part of the Baronie Group, one of Europe’s leading confectionery and chocolate companies, with 20 production sites and 3 warehouses located across Europe, Côte d’Ivoire, and the United States. The group employs 4,700 people and specializes in private-label production, co-manufacturing for globally recognized brands, as well as B2B chocolate production.
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