France gives green light to €1m renewable gas study for coal plant
Kelvin Ross
Posted on: 24 March 2023
Project intended to revitalise community around decommissioned power station and employ its legacy workers.
Project intended to revitalise community around decommissioned power station and employ its legacy workers
Gasification technology company EQTEC is to lead a €1 million technical and commercial feasibility study for waste-to-renewable gas on the site of a decommissioned coal plant in Meyreuil, Aix-en-Provence, France.
If successful, the project would lead to a revitalising of not just the power station, but the locality around it, which like other coal communities, has been adversely affected by the plant’s closure.
EQTEC is based in Ireland, the UK and Spain and designs, supplies and builds advanced gasification facilities in the UK, EU and US.
The company been chosen for the project by the French government and regional Prefecture of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur.
The feasibility study – which is expected to be completed by the middle of this year – is fully funded by the national and regional governments and will consider one of four potential projects at the site, where the Gardanne power station formally operated.
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The hope is that EQTEC’s renewable natural gas solutions can be applied to the site and kickstart new energy infrastructure in the region that is clean, sustainable, and commercially viable.
David Le Saint of EQTEC said theGardanne power station “was a huge plant and a big part of life in Gardanne-Meyreuil”.
“When visiting the area, it is evident what an impact the plant made on the local community and what its closure has meant to so many families there.
“The opportunity to help revitalise the site is extremely exciting for us and in line with our approach to local-for-local, waste-to-value solutions.
“With this initial feasibility, we believe the versatility of EQTEC technology will provide technically and commercially interesting propositions for the site and for the community.”
The intention of national and regional stakeholders is to revitalise the site and to employ local people, particularly workers from the legacy plant.
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