OUR COMMITMENTS

Certified quality!

We are committed to producing 100% natural wood fuel pellets (BADGER Pellets), of high certified quality, consistently and making sure to use environmentally-friendly techniques. This quality is guaranteed by our DIN plus and ENplus A1 certifications. We control it internally via our laboratories, in production and via external audits (approved laboratories…).

Local production!

Our 3 bio-sites, fully integrated, are located in the Walloon region in Belgium (Recybois in Virton and Woodenergy in Thimister) and Luxembourg (Kiowatt in Bissen).

Our intention is to develop our wood resource locally and in an integrated manner! It is within this context that we subscribe to the LOCAL WOOD LABEL that guarantees that our wood supply is realised in local forests!

Sustainable forest management and respect for wood cascade use!

Our pellets are made from wood from our sustainably managed forests. We are PEFC CERTIFIED.

The wood that we use is derived from thinning necessary for the management of our forests.

Their first use, when sawn, is to supply our bio-cutting unit for the production of planks, rafters and pallets (material wood usage).

These are products related to sawing, once considered waste, which are now creating energy to keep you warm, as well as our municipalities, communities and industries! This local and renewable fuel will replace imported fossil fuels such as oil and gas.

Clean energy and a unique CO2 balance!

The energy (in the form of heat and electricity) we use to produce our BADGER Pellets is a self-generated green energy from our co-generation and trigeneration (powered by wood at end of life).

The integration of our activities (integrated bio-sites) and the use of local wood allows us to also greatly reduce transport and limit greenhouse gas emissions as far as possible.

We have commissioned the company CO2LOGIC to calculate our CO2 balance (see below). This study highlights the exemplary CO2 emission results, of course compared to fossil fuels, but also compared with the pellets of our competition. Thanks to our circular economy model, we are the only co2reducer pellets!

Exceptional delivery service to your door, in bags, and in bulk!

A highly efficient distribution network has been set up to deliver our fuel to you under the best conditions (quality compliance to the final consumer), in bags and in bulk, in summer and winter.

The network of BADGER Pellets distribution partners has a unique fleet of trucks, specifically adapted for BADGER Pellets (low pressure blown air), with an on-board weighing system and all approved by metrology. Click HERE to learn more about our bulk delivery service.

Demand for pellets is seasonal and greatly increases with the approach of winter. This is why BADGER Pellets planned for huge storage facilities (more than 30,000 tonnes). No chance of running out of fuel, even when demand is very strong. Because it is when it’s cold that you need it!

With regard to our bags, we have chosen, in connection with our philosophy, to provide you with high quality recyclable paper bags. With BADGER Pellets, there is no storage of plastic bags, you can recycle your bags in the same way as your paper and cardboard!

History

1980

1980 : Creation of the François Pallet Facility by Pierre and Bernard François. Production capacity: 1000 pallets/day. Shortly thereafter a sawmill was constructed in RODANGE (Grand Duchy of Luxembourg).

1997

Significant investment to increase the production capacity to its current level of 12,000 pallets per shift. François Pallet Facilities become the most important producer of packaging wood in Belgium. Shortly thereafter, GENPACK was founded to produce volumes of cardboard cores.

Energy recovery programme of waste wood by a 2MW boiler. Objective: heat the buildings and supply the euro-pallets drying cells.

2004

With the Intermunicipal IDELUX, the Pallet Facility began studying:

• Combined heat and power with wood waste collected in 55 waste facilities of the Province of Luxembourg
• A new sawmill with a capacity of 100M3 logs per hour
• A wood fuel pellet production unit of 45,000 tonnes/year. These pellets, delivered in bags and in bulk, carry the BADGER Pellets brand!

These fully integrated activities of recycling and recovery of the wood resource were grouped within the RECYBOIS company of which the Group owns and manages 55%.

2006

The François Group engages in the collection, logistics, recycling of large packs at a European level. A logistics building of 13,000 M2 was acquired (WOODLOG company)).

2009

Always in the philosophy of work in catchment areas, and to ensure the supply of pellets in the Liège area, the François Group acquired a second cogeneration unit coupled to a BADGER Pellets wood pellet manufacturing unit of 50,000 tonnes/year in Thimister-Clermont. This new company is today known as WOODENERGY.

2012

To further improve the performance of its tools, and enhance its expertise (cogeneration, wood, pellets…), the François Group creates, in collaboration with Luxembourg partner LUXENERGIE, a company in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg referred to as KIOWATT. This third unit also produces 50,000 tonnes of BADGER Pellets per year as well as green electricity!

With its 3 fully integrated bio-sites, with thermal and electric wood material recovery, BADGER pellets production is perfectly located in order to guarantee its customers a quality and safe supply all year round!

2016

The François Group is today:

240 jobs

2.5 million euro-pallets/year

150,000 tonnes of DIN plus and EN plus A1 certified pellets, carrying the BADGER Pellets brand and delivered in bulk and in bags

75 GWh of green electricity produced/year