Savannah power station
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Savannah power station is an operating power station of at least 90-megawatts (MW) in L'Escalier, Savanne, Mauritius. It is also known as Savannah Estate SIDEC power station, La Baraque.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Savannah power station | L'Escalier, Savanne, Mauritius | -20.473587, 57.629008 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: -20.473587, 57.629008
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: unknown, bioenergy: agricultural waste (solids)[1] | 45 | subcritical | 2007 |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: unknown, bioenergy: agricultural waste (solids)[1] | 45 | subcritical | 2007 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Sugar Investment Trust; Omnicane Thermal Energy Operations La Baraque Ltd; Albioma SAS | Government of Mauritius; KKR Co Inc; MCB Equity Fund Ltd; Omnicane Ltd; The National Pensions Fund (Mauritius) |
| Unit 2 | Sugar Investment Trust; Omnicane Thermal Energy Operations La Baraque Ltd; Albioma SAS | Government of Mauritius; KKR Co Inc; MCB Equity Fund Ltd; Omnicane Ltd; The National Pensions Fund (Mauritius) |
Background
The 90 MW Savannah power station in southern Mauritius is part of an industrial cluster at La Baraque, which comprises a modern sugar factory, a sugar refinery, a bagasse-coal cogeneration power plant, a bioethanol distillery, and a Carbon Burn-Out Unit.[2][3] The power station is jointly owned by Omnicane Thermal Energy Operations (OTEO) La Baraque (65%), Albioma (25%), and Sugar Investment Trust (15%), an investment cooperative run by Mauritian sugar industry workers.[4] As noted in Séchilienne-SIDEC's (the "Société Industrielle pour le Développement de l’Energie et de la Cogénération") 2012 reference document, OTEO La Baraque was formerly called the "Compagnie Thermique de Savannah" or CTSav.[5].
During sugar harvests, the Savannah power station generally operates using bagasse, and simultaneously generates electricity for the Central Electricity Board (CEB) network and supplies the low-pressure steam required by Omnicane’s sugar refinery. Bagasse is a fibrous resource present in abundance in Mauritius, where sugar cane plantations remain a leading local agricultural resource. In 2018, 314,000 tonnes of bagasse were used, alongside other locally-sourced forms of biomass and coal, to supply 443 GWh of electric power to the Mauritian grid.[4]
Omnicane's 2020 Integrated Report notes "significant wear and tear" at the plant that impacted productivity and maintenance at La Baraque. Nevertheless, the company is confident that the cluster model used at this location is the future of their efforts, calling the joint modern sugar factory, sugar refinery, bagasse-coal cogeneration power plant, bioethanol distillery and Carbon Burn-Out Unit "Omnicane 2.0". They report that both units of the plant should be fully repaired and operational by the end of 2021.[6]
As of November 2022, Omnicane was reportedly "exploring avenues" to transition its coal assets towards a fuller biomass conversion.[7]
In their 2022 annual report, Omnicane stated that their main objectives for the coming years included renewing the power purchase agreements (PPAs) for their La Baraque and Saint-Aubin power stations and replacing coal with biomass as an energy source. Omnicane’s partner Albioma was reportedly finalizing a technical and feasibility study on the La Baraque project that would involve importing biomass. [8]
According to a circular notice published in September 2023, Omnicane's PPA with the Central Electricity Board was set to expire in July 2027.[9]
According to reporting from April 2024, Omnicane had signed an agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) regarding converting the Savannah coal plant to biomass. As part of the agreement, the companies planned to jointly evaluate the social, environmental, and financial impacts of the conversion.[10][11][12]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125130939/https://www.lemauricien.com/le-mauricien/mauritius-energy-transition-ambitious-plans-impeded-by-the-state-of-local-energy-governance/598266/. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "2019 Integrated Report," Moving Energies, Omnicane
- ↑ "Compagnie Thermique de Savannah, Environmental Impact Assessment" July 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Savannah power plant," Albioma, accessed June 1, 2021
- ↑ "Séchilienne-SIDEC's 2012 Reference Document," Séchilienne-SIDEC
- ↑ "2020 Integrated Report," Omnicane, 2020
- ↑ "Sugar – Energy: Omnicane returns to the profitability zone," Mauritius News, November 25, 2022
- ↑ "Integrated Annual Report 2022," Omnicane, 2022
- ↑ "CM Diversified Credit Ltd - Circular Notice dated 12th September 2023," MCB Capital Markets, September 12, 2023
- ↑ "Omnicane and International Finance Corporation sign a Collaboration Agreement for a coal to biomass transition project," Omnicane, April 8, 2024
- ↑ "Jacques d’Unienville: La décision de passer du charbon à la biomasse vise «à répondre aux objectifs nationaux»," lexpress.mu, April 29, 2024
- ↑ "IFC Project Information & Data Portal - CnC Omnicane," International Finance Corporation, March 4, 2024
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
