Electricity production certified by the PEFC label for the Kourou biomass plant in Guyana
18 August 2021 - 6:00PM
Electricity production certified by the PEFC label for the Kourou
biomass plant in Guyana
Voltalia (Euronext Paris, ISIN code:
FR0011995588), an international player in renewable energy,
continues its commitment to produce affordable renewable energy and
work to preserve the planet's resources.
For the past 10 years, the Kourou power plant
has been burning waste from Guyana´s sawmills, carpentry companies
and urban and industrial land clearing in order to locally produce
renewable electricity. In 2020, 94.4% of the wood used at the
Kourou power plant was certified by the Program for the Endorsement
of Forest Certification (PEFC). Voltalia has been asking its Kourou
plant suppliers since 2019 to comply with PEFC standards.
The Kourou biomass plant was the first French
overseas power plant operating 100% on biomass to obtain this type
of certification.
PEFC is a non-profit, non-governmental
organization. With 330 million hectares of certified forest, PEFC
is the world's largest forest certifier. Its certification criteria
take into account the environmental, social and economic aspects of
sustainable forest
management.
Voltalia confirms its environmental and social
commitment, particularly within the Guyanese biomass sector where
Voltalia commissioned a second biomass plant at the end of 2020,
located in Cacao, while developing several future similar plants in
the region. As the leading private player in the sector in Guyana,
Voltalia also produces solar and hydraulic electricity there.
More information
Biomass in French Guyana
Thanks to its abundant forest resources, French
Guyana has a strong potential for producing electricity from
biomass. This non-intermittent source of energy is highly
beneficial for a region that suffers from significant electricity
supply deficits. Voltalia is a major player in the wood energy
sector in French Guiana, with more than 20 megawatts of installed
biomass capacity by 2023. In addition to the Kourou plant (1.7
megawatts), which has been in operation for 10 years, the Cacao
plant (5.1 megawatts) began operating in December 2020. They will
be followed by the future Sinnamary (10.6 megawatts) and Iracoubo
(5.1 megawatts) power plants, which are currently being developed.
Voltalia's ambition is to meet the objectives of the French
Guyana's PPE (Pluriannual Energy Programme), namely the massive
integration of renewable energies, including 40 megawatts of
installed biomass capacity by 2023, and the region's energy
autonomy by 2030 in order to replace conventional thermal power
plants that are highly polluting and dependent on fossil fuel
imports.
Biomass technology contributes to a virtuous
environmental cycle by producing energy from sawmill waste, land
clearing related to other activities (housing, urban, industrial or
agricultural development included in the development plan of the
Guyana…), recycled wood (end-of-life pallets…) or logging from
sustainably managed forests. Their combustion in a boiler makes it
possible to control the emission of harmful particles, unlike
traditional burning techniques in the open air (more than 99% of
fine particles are retained in the filtration systems). At the end
of the cycle, the ash produced by the combustion can be applied to
fields as a soil amendment improving soil acidity and providing
some of the phosphorus requirement, thus replacing chemicals with
the same properties. The development of the wood-energy sector has
many positive consequences at the regional level, promoting
sustainable and integrated growth.
First of all, it helps to structure and
economically strengthen the associated sectors of logging and
timber industry (income generated by fuelwood which can represent
10 to 20% of the turnover of companies concerned). It also creates
local jobs related to the operation of power plants. Other actors
benefit from positive side effects, such as the future farmers in
the Iracoubo basin who, on the one hand, will supply the local food
market and, on the other hand, will earn a stable basic income by
cultivating energy crops in agroforestry systems for the Iracoubo
power plant.
Furthermore, biomass encourages innovation in
French Guyana. A major example of this dynamic is the deployment of
Triton's activity (Triton is a company belonging to Voltalia since
end of 2019) to exploit the submerged forest of the Petit-Saut
hydroelectric reservoir in order to supply the future Sinnamary
power plant. This will be the world's first biomass power plant to
receive wood from a submerged forest, exploited with a niche
technology. The implementation of Triton's innovative method
(SHARC®) will bring diversification and prospects to French Guyana.
It will also be associated with a virtuous biomass supply plan that
respects the aquatic fauna of Petit-Saut. Indeed, until now,
submerged logs stimulate the dissolution of mercury in water and
their degradation in anoxic processes leads to carbon dioxide and
methane emissions. Therefore, the extraction of the wood will have
a direct positive impact on the lake ecosystem.
Next on the agenda: First half 2021 results,
September 23, 2021 before market
About Voltalia
(www.voltalia.com) |
Voltalia is an international player in the renewable energy sector.
The Group produces and sells electricity generated from wind,
solar, hydraulic, biomass and storage facilities that it owns and
operates. Voltalia has generating capacity in operation and under
construction of more than 1.5 GW and a portfolio of projects under
development representing total capacity of 9.7 GW. Voltalia is also
a service provider and supports its investor clients in renewable
energy projects during all phases, from design to operation and
maintenance. As a pioneer in the corporate market, Voltalia
provides a global offer to private companies, ranging from the
supply of green electricity and energy efficiency services to the
local production of their own electricity. The Group has more than
1,130 employees and is present in 20 countries on 4 continents and
is able to act worldwide on behalf of its clients. Voltalia is
listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris, compartment B
(FR0011995588 – VLTSA) and is part of the Enternext Tech 40 and CAC
Mid & Small indices. The Group is also included in the
Gaïa-Index, an index for socially responsible midcaps. |
VoltaliaInvestor Relations: invest@voltalia.comT. +33 (0)1 81 70 37
00 |
ActifinPress Contact: Jennifer Julliajjullia@actifin.fr
. T. +33 (0)1 56 88 11 11 |
- Certification PEFC Kourou Biomass Plant
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