In Guadeloupe, the decarbonization of electricity is progressing, energy autonomy a little less

In an opinion published Tuesday, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council considers that the energy autonomy of overseas territories in 2030, an objective set by law, will be "difficult to achieve", however welcoming the progress made and deeming the stated objectives "realistic" decarbonization of energy.

Guadeloupe came a long way with less than 20% renewable energy in 2015, when the energy transition law was voted on.

From a bad student, the butterfly island nevertheless intends to become first in the class while a new multi-annual energy program (PPE), approved in October by the Guadeloupe region, sets a "new framework and gives objectives by sector" , according to Emmanuelle Wargon, president of the Energy Regulatory Commission.

According to this project, hailed in July as "ambitious" in a parliamentary report, "wind-generated production will have to triple" by 2032, going from 60 MW to 180 MW. Just like solar production, from 90 to 270 MW, while geothermal production should be multiplied by five to reach 75 MW.

And the strengthening of other energies is planned to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2028.

“We have around 10 additional MW coming,” Pierre Héreil, hydroelectricity project manager at Valorem, one of the French pioneers in renewables which operates 16 micro-hydroelectric power plants in Guadeloupe, explains to AFP.

“I came to meet all the players, do the costing” and “have face-to-face discussions on sensitive projects,” explained Emmanuelle Wargon, visiting Guadeloupe at the end of February.

Among these projects, the decarbonization of the EDF thermal power plant in Guadeloupe, which must replace fuel oil with liquid biomass mainly imported, or the project for the valorization of recovered solid fuels, from household waste, implemented by Albioma, the second largest overseas electricity producer.

Slow projects

However, Guadeloupean projects take time to get off the ground and could slow down these great ambitions. For geothermal energy, whose industry depends on the mining code, the gestation time can reach 10 years, according to specialists.

“On the wind and solar side, we are faced with the question of the absence of spatialization of projects by the PPE,” explains Laurent Pflumio, local representative of the Renewable Energies Union.

As in the majority of overseas territories, where land represents an important issue, Guadeloupe lacks space: wind power and photovoltaics are not relevant everywhere and require building permits, but also the possibility of being connected to the electricity network. However, adds Laurent Pflumio, “the EDF connection boxes are saturated”.

The Energy Regulatory Commission must also determine the purchase price of electricity, a price also to be renegotiated for individuals who would like to install photovoltaic panels.

“Electricity produced by individuals is – for the moment – ​​less well remunerated than that produced in the rest of the country”, write the parliamentarians in their report, urging the government to apply a more attractive tariff in these territories which are facing to “galloping inflation for two years”.

But beyond the greening of electricity, energy autonomy is still far from being achieved.

By 2033, according to the new PPE, the local share of electricity production should reach 50 to 75%, leaving Guadeloupe still dependent on imported energy, in particular liquid and solid biomass. A proportion which increases mathematically by including greenhouse gas emissions linked to the transport of these biomasses by boat.

And the energy transition will pose a new problem for overseas communities, a financial one: how to replace fossil fuels whose taxation, via the special consumption tax, finances around 50% of the budget of local authorities, according to the Council economic, social and environmental?