42T supports Burton’s Foods with industrial fuel-switching government-funded study

Burton’s Foods has worked with 42T to investigate the feasibility of electrification of its gas-fired industrial baking ovens used for biscuits and other products to help cut its carbon emissions.

Burton’s is now operating as Fox’s Burton’s Companies (FBC) UK under a Ferrero-related company.

The results from the feasibility study have concluded that although there are suitable electric ovens available, even with all 42T’s recommended energy savings and other operational cost reductions factored in, they would still make the baking process significantly more expensive because of the marked price difference between electricity and gas.

The study was funded through the UK government’s Phase 1 Industrial Fuel Switching Competition designed to help accelerate the transition to cleaner fuels [see ref 1 link below]. A full report detailing the results has just been published online by the Departments for Energy Security and Net Zero, and for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [ref 2 link].

The aim being to support other industries with oven-based operations needing to decarbonise, such as for curing and drying of ceramics, composites or papers.

Industrial baking in the UK relies on using natural gas-fired ovens to produce biscuits and other products with the flavour, texture and appearance that appeal to consumers. So the study had to consider both technical and commercial aspects of fuel switching to ensure product quality, costs and throughput could be maintained or improved.

42 Technology’s work included characterising the thermal and humidity profile of a current gas-fired industrial baking line; mapping the energy losses within the current process to identify potential savings, and investigating commercially-available electric ovens to replicate the existing baking process.

The team also developed a process to assess and reconfigure other production lines relying on electrical heating technologies.

The Food and Drink Federation has estimated that direct-fired ovens used within the UK’s food and drink sector contribute around 700,000 tonnes CO₂e per year [ref 3 below].

Electrification is seen as the best route to decarbonising the industrial baking process, given the UK’s commitment to zero-carbon electricity by 2035 and ongoing uncertainties over the availability and cost of green hydrogen. But maintaining product properties and costs are proving to be challenging.

FBC UK estimates they could potentially reduce their annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 17,000 tonnes CO₂e by decarbonising their production lines.

Following on from the outputs of the feasibility study, the next step to realise that potential is a successful application to phase two of the Industrial Fuel Switching Competition to demonstrate the commercial viability of a high-efficiency electric oven on an industrial site by early 2025.

References

1. Industrial fuel switching competition phase 1
2. Industrial fuel switching feasibility study. Project Zap – Electrification of biscuit production
3. Decarbonisation of heat across the food and drink manufacturing sector. The Food and Drink Federation, June 2020

Read the case study here.

Press coverage

• FMCG CEO article: 'Baking without gas' - page 60 in Jan 2024 issue
• Business Weekly
• Manufacturing Management
• Factory & Handling Solutions 
• Cambridge Network
• Eureka!
• Confectionery News
• Food Manufacture
• Bakery & Snacks
• The Manufacturer
• UK Manufacturing
• Food & Drink Technology
• Kennedy's Bakery Production
• Energy & Sustainability Solutions (Autumn 2023 issue)

Burton’s Foods bakes some of the UK’s most popular biscuit brands including Wagon Wheels, Maryland cookies & Jammie Dodgers. Photo credit: Fox’s Burton’s Companies UK

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If you would like to find out more, please contact 42T’s Adrian Swinburne:

adrian.swinburne@42T.com | +44 (0)1480 302700 | Adrian Swinburne | LinkedIn

Adrian leads 42 Technology’s work in the consumer sector, developing and managing 42T’s clients in food, beverage, home care and personal care.