Français
What is the current status of the power plant?
It's important to remember that it was built in several stages, in several construction phases. The first one dates back to the 1990s, and it has delivered the service we expected. But it needs to be renovated. This is part of the multi-annual energy program (PPE, ndlr) drawn up in 2023 by the Collectivité, for which EDF played its role as expert to provide the data used to determine the guidelines. On the other hand, we have the aspects of consumption trends. We took stock of what had been included in the PPE and then the reality on the ground, which shows that growth is higher than the lowest scenario in this programming.
Have you been able to assess the requirements for the new power plant?
That was one of the reasons for the meeting with the local authorities and all the players on the island. We wanted to exchange ideas on how to see the changes and how to take all the elements into account. The EPP covers a fifteen-year period. As industrialists, when we build this power plant, it's for a 25-year period. So we're projecting potential needs 25 years ahead, based on what's happening today and on the information we have. Taking into account the particularities of the area, its double insularity and the difficulty of bringing in elements, it's better to build directly what we'll need in 25 years' time than to build a piece and then come back to it, which will have higher costs.
What does the lack of land mean for the power plant renovation project?
The lack of land means we'll have to demolish the old power plant and rebuild on the same site. This implies a lot of constraints. It's feasible, but it's not as easy as having another plot of land on which to build "quietly" before deconstructing the old plant. So we're going to have to propose a temporary power plant and find a plot of land on which to install the back-up units while we're in the process of deconstructing. This point was discussed at the last territorial council meeting.
When could these major works begin?
The big difficulty we're having in terms of timetable is that we're projecting ourselves from the signing of the PPE to establish the stages. But we've been waiting for several years. That doesn't mean we can't continue to think and work. We have carried out studies and estimates based on what we know. But they remain estimates until we launch the calls for tender and things are fully defined. So I can't talk about a timetable. As far as EDF is concerned, we'd like to point out that it's already necessary to replace the current power plant. If the growth in consumption continues to be significant, we risk reaching complicated situations.
How long will the work take?
We're talking in the order of magnitude of seven years. We're in a drawer system. We need to find a site for the temporary power station, which was discussed and decided at the territorial council meeting. When that's done, we'll be able to lay the cables to power it, shut down the engines, dismantle them, clean up the pollution and then build.
Clean up?
Any industrial site, even if we're confident that the operators have worked properly, needs to be inspected and cleaned up. We've already taken numerous measurements, and we know that this can be a critical point between the idea we have and the reality on the ground once we have to deconstruct everything. Things have to be done properly.
In terms of progress, even if we're working as tightly as possible, once we've done all that, we try to parallelize everything that can be parallelized, bearing in mind that each of the axioms can lead to a drift in time. So we're well on the way to having a new plant operational within six or seven years. From the moment we decide to do so, which is a matter for the signature of the PPE. The French energy regulator, the Commission de régulation de l'énergie, has made a number of comments that need to be addressed. In particular, the consumption projections are not favorable, and various ministries have to sign this document. But it's not just Saint-Barthélemy. No EPPs have been signed in interconnected areas.
What is the estimated cost of the project?
The orders of magnitude we have today for the whole project are around 380 to 400 million (euros). With additional costs, etc. But this is just an estimate. Time is a factor, but so are constraints. As the port is not in deep water, the material to be transported will have to be done in several stages.
Is the constant rise in consumption in Saint-Barthélemy a constraining factor?
There are several aspects to consumption. What we've done is to base our projections on actual figures. And we're still seeing an increase in consumption. A number of actions have been launched, as EDF is committed to all actions aimed at controlling energy consumption. Saint-Barthélemy has reactivated its MDE (Maîtrise de la demande de l'énergie) committee, and the Collectivité has launched a number of initiatives. When I arrived, I saw the work being done to install (photovoltaic) panels. These are all elements that will help reduce consumption. How this reduces or limits growth is the challenge for the coming months. These are aspects that need to be taken into account when sizing the plant, so that we don't have to come back to them in 25 years' time, and see how much we're going to consume from this plant.
How will financing be shared between the State and the local authorities?
I'll let the players talk about that. Discussions are underway to reach an agreement. We are experts in this field. We talk about values and what would be the best thing to build, to be careful about false economies, but I'll let the Collectivité answer on the distribution.
There are regular exchanges with all the players involved. We have a sense of public service, and we do all we can to help understand markets and players: with the CRE (Commission de régulation de l'énergie, editor's note), the Degec (Direction générale de l'énergie et du climat), the Collectivité. The purpose of the meeting was to review all the cost drivers, in a context that remains fluid. We've seen in recent years that the price of materials can soar. So as long as orders and invitations to tender have not been signed, the situation remains uncertain.
Alternative energy: grants and subsidies for individuals
In order to bring some relative relief to the pace and volume of production at the EDF de Public power plant, grants and other incentives are being offered by the Collectivité, the Agence territoriale de l'environnement, as well as through the MDE (Maîtrise de la demande d'énergie) committee, to install solar equipment (water heaters, photovoltaic panels, etc.). Last May, the Collectivité formalized an agreement with EDF for the purchase of locally-produced energy. At the same time, the new compensation framework for small-scale MDE actions provides for the payment of 2.64 million euros in premiums to Saint-Barthélemy over the period 2025-2028, for a total of 2.2 million financed by SPE (Public Energy Services) charges. "These actions should make it possible to avoid 15.2 million in additional production costs over the lifetime of the various MDE measures put in place, i.e. a net saving of 13 million in PES charges", explains the Energy Regulatory Commission.
