Europastry is preparing to enter the energy flexibility markets with Bamboo Energy

Between €50k and €120k in profits and 130 tons of CO2 saved: the pilot project that integrated Europastry’s refrigeration plant in Vallmoll (Tarragona) into Bamboo Energy’s technology platform has proven that the bakery company has great potential for flexibility.

The simulation, carried out in December 2021, has shown that thanks to Bamboo Energy’s software, Vallmoll’s electro-intensive industrial refrigeration system can shift the refrigerators’ consumption for two hours without affecting the quality of the product.

Bamboo Energy’s technological solution enables electro-intensive industries such as Europastry to participate in the flexibility markets in a simple and automated way, thus enabling them to considerably reduce their high electricity bills.

Barcelona, 18 May 2022. – Europastry has great potential for flexibility, with a generation capacity of between 50 and 120 k€/year, providing benefits to the company with a very low investment and without affecting the process. This is the result of the technical tests and economic analysis carried out by the Barcelona-based technology start-up Bamboo Energy at the Vallmoll plant (Tarragona).

At the same time, it has been calculated that participation in the tertiary reserve markets would result in savings of approximately 130 tons of CO2 per year, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and, consequently, improving Europastry’s environmental impact.

Jordi Fabregat, Business Investments Development & Operations Director at Europastry, says “at Europastry we want to lead the transformation of the bakery sector in the fight against climate change. For this very reason we value very positively the collaboration with Bamboo Energy and the results obtained through its Software. Thanks to initiatives like theirs, companies are closer every day to achieving the future we want for our Planet”.

According to Mattia Barbero, founding partner and Product Owner of Bamboo Energy, “this first collaboration with Europastry has made it possible to establish the foundations and confidence needed for the company to soon enter the flexibility markets. In addition, it has also allowed us to better understand the processes that include large refrigerators, such as the bakery industry, in order to improve our artificial intelligence algorithms”.

First step to enter the flexibility markets

Flexibility simulations carried out in December 2021 showed that the Vallmoll plant’s industrial refrigeration system is potentially capable, during the winter, to stop consuming for at least two hours at any time of the day. Due to the average consumption of the plant during the coldest months of the year, this represents a flexibility potential of approximately 500 kW.

At the same time, it was estimated that the potential for flexibility during the summer is similar since, although consumption is higher (1,000 kW) and it would not be possible to completely switch off the chiller, it would be possible to reduce its power by 50%. In any case, tests will be repeated next summer to validate this hypothesis.

The results obtained pave the way for Europastry to enter the flexibility markets, although a necessary change in legislation is still needed. “Although technically possible, Europastry cannot participate independently of its electricity trading company at the moment because the legislation does not allow it. We will have to wait at least until the end of this year, according to the roadmap published by Red Eléctrica”, clarifies Mattia Barbero.

About Bamboo Energy

Bamboo Energy is a technological spin-off of IREC created in 2020 in Barcelona that has developed an energy optimization platform based on artificial intelligence, with the aim of contributing decisively to the promotion of a new decentralized energy model based on renewable sources. It enables the aggregated and coordinated management of the consumption of several users for their participation in different electricity markets.

About Europastry

Europastry is an international company with a start-up mentality. In essence, we are bakers ready to transform baking as we know it. Respecting and honoring the tradition of artisan baking is, together with our curious spirit and our relentless pursuit of innovation, the basis of all our work. Today, Europastry is present in more than 80 countries, through our more than 4,000 Bakers, 22 production plants and 31 sales offices.

Press Contacts:

• Mar Claramonte, Bamboo Energy Communication. E-mail: media@bambooenergy.tech – Mobile: +34 669 122 065
• Helena Pont, Communication Technician Europastry. E-mail: hpont@europastry.com – Mobile: +34 620 006 708