Global technology and software company Emerson has been selected by French independent energy provider Albioma to help transition its coal-fired Bois Rouge plant to 100% biomass.
Albioma’s 108MW Bois Rouge coal-fired power plant, based on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, will be converted to biomass wood pellets resulting in a CO2 emissions reduction of approximately 640,000 tonnes per year.
“Our aim as a company is to reach almost 100% renewable energies by 2030 at the latest, and the complete discontinuation of coal at our flagship site represents a major milestone in this green revolution,” said Pascal Langeron, chief operating officer, Reunion Island of Albioma.
The five-month, multi-million dollar project will see Emerson modify two of the three generating units’ distributed control systems for use with biomass feedstock. The control system of the third unit will be completely replaced with a new Ovation system.
According to Emerson, the units will also be modernised with new turbine protection and monitoring systems, as well as upgraded boiler control elements and instrumentation.
Emerson will provide local engineering support and will allow Albioma to access resources and ongoing support via its virtual engineering and testing environment, or Remote Virtual Office.
“Emerson has a vital role to play in the global transition to a sustainable energy future by supporting customers in their conversion projects,” said Bob Yeager, president of Emerson’s power and water business.
“Our automation technologies, software, solutions and biomass project expertise will help Albioma operate Bois Rouge at peak performance, while also benefiting the environment by achieving a very significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.”
