Travelling is an opportunity to discover the culture of a country and its evolution through time. Today, we are embarking for Mauritius, which, in addition to being a charming island with a rich culture, is an island of ambition that is making progress in terms of renewable energies.
In Mauritius, 90% of the cultivated areas are dominated by sugar cane fields, which have been the main driver of the island's economic activity for years.
Today, Mauritius is gradually moving away from fossil fuels and is making its transition to renewable energies thanks to sugar cane used to produce electricity!
How does it work ?
The sugar cane harvest takes place in late autumn. At harvest time,
8,500 tonnes of cane are harvested and then crushed to extract the juice that will be used to produce sugar. During its grinding, sugar cane produces a small fibrous waste called "Bagasse" which is at the origin of the production of this almost natural electricity.
The bagasse is washed and then heated to reduce its moisture content. The bagasse is placed in a boiler at more than 1,000°C. This boiler is equipped with external steel pipes containing liquid demineralized water, the heat causes the water to vaporize and the steam pressure causes the rotation of a turbo alternator equipped with small fins. This sets the rotor in motion, generating electricity production.
The CO2 emissions produced by the combustion of the cane are stored and then redistributed for the production of carbon dioxide for soft drink companies and are not released into the air.
Sugarcane electricity is in addition to renewable energy such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power.
Mauritius, an autonomous island
Today, the country's electricity production is provided by 4 power plants where combustion comes solely from bagasse (waste produced by sugar cane) and not from coal. In total, 22% of the energy produced in Mauritius is renewable.
By 2025, the island aims to increase to 35% renewable energy and hosted the first regional renewable energy forum in May 2019.
Mauritius is looking even further ahead and hopes that within the next two decades, the island will reach zero carbon use.
At present, the use of bagasse produces 277 GWh of electricity, or the consumption of about 91,000 inhabitants, and avoids the import of 138,000 tonnes of coal.
The process seems somewhat complicated, but it is important to remember Mauritius' willingness to produce its own renewable energy. This small island of barely 2,000 km2 carries its ambitions towards the preservation of the environment, and this is what makes it even more endearing.
8
4
4
