ALLICE CLUB PRIME : The official gathering of network members and partners.

On Tuesday, 17 March 2026, members of the ALLICE network gathered in Saint-Malo for an immersive day at the Timac Agro production site, which is owned by the Roullier Group. For almost 70 years, Timac Agro has been developing innovative solutions in soil nutrition, fertilisation, biostimulants, and animal production.

The day began with a "welcome coffee" at the Roullier Endowment Fund, after which the participants split into two groups. One group toured the factory on the Inner Quay of the Port of Saint-Malo, while the other took part in a discussion session focused on  ALLICE studies.
During the tour, participants discovered the various stages of manufacturing granulated fertilisers and lick stones, from receiving raw materials to dispatching finished products in France and internationally.

Marine calcium carbonate now plays a central role among the raw materials required to manufacture these fertilisers, replacing the traditional 'maërl' (accumulations of free-living calcareous red algae on sandy or muddy seabeds). It is extracted and transported by sea, then dried, ground and mixed with other agricultural additives, such as phosphate.

This mixture of minerals is fed into a pre-granulator, and then into a granulator, to gradually refine the granulation process. The resulting granules are dried again and screened. During screening, any granules that are too large or too small are removed and returned to earlier stages of the process, ensuring that no material is wasted. The compliant granules are cooled and coated before being packaged in bags or in bulk for storage and delivery.s. 

Particular attention is paid to controlling energy consumption and emissions :

- The drying process operates at high temperatures (450 °C at the inlet and 90 °C at the outlet) and can process over 35 tonnes of marine calcium per hour. Historically fuelled by natural gas, the heating system has for several years now been partly provided by a biomass boiler (in the first drying stage, prior to granulation). The Roullier Group began integrating biomass boilers as early as the early 2000s.

- Fine dust is captured by bag filters and reintroduced into the production cycle. Gaseous compounds, meanwhile, are treated in a 17-metre scrubbing tower using a water spray system.

    The tour concluded with a look at the final stages of lickstone production: moulding, drying and packaging. 

A big thank you to Clément Heurtin, Yves Roques and Camille for their informative explanations throughout this highly educational tour.

All participants then gathered for a presentation on the Timac Agro factories’ energy action plan, highlighting concrete initiatives regarding the energy transition.

The lunch break, organised as a buffet, provided a convivial opportunity for informal discussions. Participants were also able to explore the Minerallium, the Endowment Fund’s permanent exhibition dedicated to minerals and their essential role in plant, animal and human nutrition.

The afternoon continued with pitches from new members – Packgy, Acciona Energía and Alpiq – showcasing new projects and expertise within the network. The day concluded with an update on ALLICE’s latest news: the 2026 calendar, the AAC FIRE scheme, ongoing evaluation of studies, upcoming events, the PRODICEE programme, the “Foundations for Decarbonisation” initiative, etc.

[For members: all presentations are available via the extranet.]

This day, rich in discussions and discoveries, fully illustrates ALLICE’s collective dynamism and the commitment of its members to addressing industrial and energy challenges.

We would like to extend our warmest thanks to our member Roullier, and in particular to Yves Roques for making this visit possible, and to Marie Prestigiacomo for organising the logistics of this event!

We look forward to seeing you on 18 June in Lyon for the next ALLICE PRIME Club.
Would you like to take part in the next ALLICE PRIME Club? Contact us to discuss it!