| On May 28 TOTAL and Electricité de France (EDF) signed a preliminary agreement concerning a joint study to build a cogeneration project in Dunkirk. The facility, which will be integrated into TOTAL's Flanders refinery, will use refinery gases and additional natural gas to produce steam for the refining units and some 100 to 150 MW of electricity. At this stage in the project, the facility is expected to come on stream in early 2002.
This type of cogeneration plant is particularly energy efficient. It enables a 25% reduction in overall energy consumption compared with separate units, for the same output of steam and electricity. As a result, it helps to reduce the emission of gases that contribute to the green-house effect.
The project follows the announcement by TOTAL and EDF to join forces to build a large Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plant at TOTAL's Normandy refinery less than a year ago. The new partnership therefore reaffirms the two groups' commitment to pooling their expertise in new power generation technologies. |
