- Local authorities
The network serving Europe’s largest business district goes green with Idex La Défense
As pledged in 2009, Idex La Défense – the main concession holder for GENERIA’s heating and cooling network in the La Défense business district – is continuing its greening efforts.
The heating and air conditioning network that serves the La Défense business district’s 70 towers and 180,000-plus workers is one of the largest networks in France. Recently established standards require new buildings to have a reduced energy footprint and old buildings to undergo energy efficiency renovations, making the greening of the network a necessity. This greening is partly financed with GENERIA’s own funds.
Agri-pellet solution
Idex La Défense has identified agri-pellets as a solution to significantly reduce the energy footprint of the district, which currently uses fuel oil. Made from agricultural raw materials (green waste, rapeseed or corn straw, miscanthus, nut shells, olive pits, vine shoots), agri‑pellets have many benefits:
- Carbon footprint reduction: agricultural residues are collected within a limited radius of the plant then transported by train.
- Contribution to regional development: the ash from combustion can be used locally as soil fertiliser.
- Boost for the local economy: harvesting, packaging and transport jobs are created.
The new set-up will enable La Défense to achieve a renewable energy share of 60% and reduce CO2 emissions by 54,000 tonnes – impressive figures for such a large district.
The work to completely overhaul the network begins in June 2021, the aim being to ensure La Défense becomes the first certified green business district in Europe.
To that end, Idex La Défense is transforming its entire site:
- Creation of a truck unloading area as a backup for train unloading.
- Creation of a 1,500 m3 storage area to meet the concession’s needs during periods of extreme cold.
- Implementation of a grinding system to turn agri-pellets into a fine powder suitable for the boiler burner.
- Conversion of two oil boilers to run on agri-pellets (burner replacement, changes to the flue system, creation of an ash removal system).
- Implementation of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system and a flue gas economiser and conversion of the existing electrostatic precipitator into a baghouse.
- Replacement of flues to suit the new fuel.
The La Défense site is a perfect location to showcase that green energy can be produced on a large scale, as it is Europe’s largest business district and home to one of the largest heating networks in France. Idex is proud to be moving into the operational phase of the network transformation project and to be leading the district’s energy transition.
The work is starting now and will last until 15 October 2022, when the boilers will be fired up for the first time and agri-pellet-based energy production will start.
