Circular Heat at Boxmeer - A Smarter, Cleaner Hatchery

The SDG‑Challenge is a sustainability innovation program where students collaborate with companies to solve real‑life challenges linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is structured as a university competition in which student teams work with an assigned organization to propose meaningful, practical, and sustainable solutions.

During this program, a group of 5 cross-functional university students worked together with the team of the Boxmeer hatchery and the sustainability team to improve circularity in the heating system of the Boxmeer hatchery. The students pitched their ideas on the “Impact in Action” day in Utrecht, where they won the award for “Best Pitch”.

Hendrix Genetics works to reduce its climate impact, with the goal of working towards net zero. Hatcheries consume substantial energy, making them an important focus area in the journey toward net‑zero emissions. Turning this challenge into an innovation task, students in the SDG Challenge were asked to design a practical solution tailored to real hatchery conditions and considering biosecurity.

Their assignment was simple in intent but complex in execution: how to lower emissions whilst continuing 24/7 operations under strict biosecurity measures. By approaching the problem with fresh technical perspectives and a focus on feasibility, the student team helped translate the company’s net‑zero ambition into a tangible, operational improvement.

The Boxmeer hatchery generates significant amounts of heat from its incubators, machinery, and production processes. However, a major portion of this thermal energy is currently lost through ventilation exhaust air. This heat loss represents a substantial waste of resources and forms the core problem addressed in this study.

The student team compared heat‑recovery options and selected a run‑around coil system. This is a solution that safely transfers heat from exhaust to fresh air without any risk of air mixing, keeping biosecurity fully intact. By re‑using this otherwise wasted energy, the hatchery can significantly lower gas consumption, cut CO₂ emissions, and boost overall energy efficiency. The system fits smoothly into existing infrastructure and stabilizes temperature conditions, improving incubator performance and resilience against energy price fluctuations.

This project shows how targeted engineering and close collaboration can drive both operational efficiency and meaningful sustainability gains.

Heat recovery enables the reuse of thermal energy within the hatchery, reducing the need for fossil‑based heating and contributing positively to clean‑energy goals.

Reusing heat—currently a wasted resource—supports more efficient and responsible resource use and helps advance circularity within hatchery operations.

This program strengthened collaboration between industry and education. Hendrix Genetics worked with students from Dutch universities to help solve real‑world challenges while contributing to progress toward the SDGs and supporting industry needs.