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The mini-hydroelectric
power plant at Moulin de Chigny demonstrates that overall
econo-mic good sense and environmental protection can go hand
in hand in the area of hydraulic energy production —
and what's more, in a fairly flat region. As owner of the
Moulin de Chigny since 1970, the Collective Agricultural Electrical
Power Cooperative of Vervinois de l'Aubentonnais found itself
in a dilemma in 1995: should they completely renovate the
facility or sell it? The power generating plant was no longer
breaking even since it did not generate enough power (55 kW)
to justify repair and maintenance costs.
Renovation
made possible by the support of public authorities
The renovation of the mini-power plant became a reality thanks
to the support offered by the regional office of ADEME in
Picardy, which took action in three ways: first of all, through
its encouragement and support during the initial phases of
the project; next, through its technical aid and support at
the various stages of the long administrative process; and
finally, through the combined forces of the ADEME, the European
Regional Development Fund and the Picardy Regional Council,
which together contributed to the arrangement of a total subsidy
of euros 122 000 in initial investments.
A
local development approach
The project is in keeping with an overall local approach to
development, to the point of including a tourism aspect, since
the dwelling adjoining the site was renovated and transformed
into a lodge. The preservation of the environment was a major
consideration, both from an aesthetic point of view and ecologically.
All of the technical equipment was housed in a single building,
the banks were stabilized by planting vegetation, a fish pass
was installed and the electrical lines were buried.
For Christophe Roger, a technician specializing in the development
of renewable energies at the ADEME Picardy office, “this
project was exemplary because, for the first time, economic
and environmental imperatives were integrated into a joint
approach”.
It was in these exceptional surroundings that ADEME welcomed
a European delegation last December that included members
of the OPET network (Organizations for the Promotion of Energy
Technologies) from Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Norway,
Romania and Russia, who had come to share their experiences
and to work together on a developmental strategy for small
hydraulic facilities in Europe.
Indeed, much remains to be done in many countries, where,
in spite of strong potential, overly restrictive legislation
or the unavailability of financing is still holding back the
development of small power plants.
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