Symrise (Holzminden, Germany) has partnered with CRIEPPAM to boost the energy efficiency of lavender harvesting and distillation in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region of France.
The company says the program aims to improve the quality of the essential oil produced while also optimizing the environmental footprint of production.
Symrise will provide financial support for CRIEPPAM's research into these processes.
According to Benoît Cassan, chairman of CRIEPPAM, “the Espieur harvesting machine developed by CRIEPPAM is expected to save 30% of energy during steam distillation by picking up the flowers without the stems.”
Removal of stems from the process alone improves the quality of the oil as the essential oil is concentrated primarily in lavender blooms.
Symrise perfumer Alexandra Carlin says, “The Espieur oil smells more modern and contemporary. That makes it perfectly suited for sophisticated perfume creations. We are very lucky to have this quality in our palette.”
Symrise perfumer Joachim Correll adds, that the Espieur lavandin oil "has tremendous effects on naturalness and freshness.”
“Above all, this collaboration allows CRIEPPAM to involve perfumers as the end users of our research work," says Eric Chaisse, director of CRIEPPAM. " In turn, this enables a rapid and full adaptation to market expectations. The financial contribution from Symrise also helps us to improve our self-financing,”
Symrise previously announced that it would reduce its carbon footprint by 33% by 2020, while ensuring that all of its strategic raw materials are sustainably sourced.
