Mauritian independent power producer (IPP) Omnicane has signed a collaboration agreement with the IFC to transform its mainly coal-fired power plants to run entirely on biomass

The agreement involves the 90MW La Baraque/Savannah coal and bagasse-fired cogeneration facility in southern Mauritius which will be converted to run on imported sustainably sourced wood pellets, according to Omnicane’s 2022 annual report

The plant is jointly owned by sugar producer OTEO LB, a joint venture of Omnicane, France's Albioma and the Sugar Investment Trust, an investment cooperative run by Mauritian sugar industry workers. Bagasse is a by-product of sugarcane processing

The IFC’s support for Omnicane will entail evaluating biomass as a low-carbon energy option, including its environmental and social impacts, a financial, economic and climate analysis as well as identifying preliminary financing solutions.

Omnicane also operates the 35MW St Aubin’s coal-fired facility in southern Mauritius which is planned to be fuelled by locally sourced biomass. According to the annual report, a biomass platform will be constructed at the site to transform biomass into wood chips. The plant is also jointly owned by Omnicane, Albioma and the Sugar Investment Trust.

The project marks the IFC’s first biomass partnership in Africa and is aimed at supporting Mauritius’ goal to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. The country is also targeting renewable energy to constitute 60% of its installed capacity by 2030.

The IFC expects other African countries to follow Mauritius’ precedent.

“We expect that this project will inspire others and be replicated elsewhere in Africa, especially in countries that are also heavily reliant on fossil fuels in their energy mix,” said Adamou Labara, IFC country manager for South Africa and Mauritius.