This Friday, May 06, our Fontenoy site welcomed the Walloon Minister Willy Borsus as well as the Mayor of Antoing, Bernard Bauwens. It was an opportunity for iscal to highlight the 3 biggest challenges we face today as well as the investments that iscal is making.
A company that invests sustainably
Iscal is well established in the Tournai basin and intends to remain so. In 2021, a new digester (€1.5 million) was installed. This new tank makes it possible, by methanizing beet residues, to supply up to 15% of energy to the factory. We are currently building a new sugar silo (€28m) which will allow us to store an additional 80,000t of sugar at our Fontenoy site.
Friday, April 29, the iscal board of directors validated a budget of 11 million euros for the installation, in 2023, of a wind turbine as well as its integration into our electrical production network.
Robert Torck, CEO
Rising energy prices
We are in the midst of an energy crisis and iscal, as many companies, is bearing the brunt of this price increase. From 3.5% of our turnover in fiscal year 2020/2021 devoted to energy, we could reach 24% of this turnover in 2022/2023 based on current projections. We are not remaining inactive in the face of this price increase (see investments) and continue to develop new ideas to further modernize our business.
Measures at European, federal and regional level will prevent this energy crisis that we are experiencing from becoming a crisis for our economy and for employment.
Willy Borsus, Walloon Minister of Economy
In the fields, the grass is not always green
We are under pressure in the factory but in the fields the reality is not any easier for our 2300 Belgian farmers. The increase in costs also affects them on several levels: plant protection products (seeds), fertilizers, energy. Moreover, on the European market, not everyone benefits from the same conditions, which makes the daily life of our growers even more difficult.
Iscal and the IRBAB-KBIVB are investing in research to replace neonicotinoids with the support of Minister Borsus. We want to find sustainable ways to fight against the 3 main viruses acting against beets in Belgium.
Ronald Demuynck, Agronomist Director
The sugar manufacturers of the future
Changing a corporate culture is not something that can be achieved in a few months. We are working hard to change things internally in order to improve the working environment of our employees but also to recruit new colleagues. The technical professions are indeed suffering from a huge shortage and it is vital for us to make ourselves as attractive as possible as an employer.
We want to introduce the many jobs that iscal offers to young people in the region and try to encourage vocations.
Virginie Naessens, Director of Human Resources
Virginie Naessens presents the challenge of recruiting at iscal Laurence Philippart illustrates the rise in energy prices MM. Bauwens, Borsus, Lippens and Torck arrive at the factory An employee explains to Mr. Borsus the control system of the factory Mr. Lippens explains to MM. Borsus and Bauwens the crystallization process. Tasting of strawberries and iscal sugar in front of our silo under construction
By Brieuc
administrator
Brieuc
