GE Energy is providing two of its ecomaginationTM-certified Jenbacher gas engines for a new 2-MW landfill gas-to-energy plant on the small French island of La Réunion in the Indian Ocean, 680 kilometers east of Madagascar.

The landfill gas project represents an important renewable energy reference site for La Réunion, which is seeking to become completely independent from energy imports by 2025. To reach this goal, the island needs to add an estimated 400 MW in generating capacity from various sources.

France’s “obligation d’achat” feed-in tariff system, which provides incentives for installation of additional renewable energy capacity, helped make the La Réunion landfill gas project more economically feasible for the project’s developer.

By capturing landfill gas instead of emitting it directly into the atmosphere and using it for power generation in place of fossil fuels, the project is expected to ensure the reduction of up to 60,000 tons CO2 equivalents per year, thus providing significant environmental benefits.

GE is supplying two of its JMS 320 GS/L.L gas engines for the landfill gas plant being installed near the town of Saint-Pierre, on the southern end of the island. The two Jenbacher units combined will generate more than 2 MW in electrical power, which will then be sold to the local grid. Meanwhile, the engines’ combined 1,172 kW in thermal power (without the use of exhaust gas heat) will create hot water for the landfill’s leachate treatment system, which utilizes a thermal evaporation process in vacuum conditions. The incorporation of heat sources such as engine cooling water, oil and air/fuel gas mixture for thermal power generation ensures the operator additional benefits in terms of better fuel use to reach optimal energy efficiency. Under challenging tropical climatic conditions, the engines will provide an electrical efficiency of about 40.1%.

“This project is GE’s first landfill gas plant to be installed in any of France’s overseas regions, and we are looking forward to supporting La Réunion’s efforts to create a more sustainable, secure and autonomous energy infrastructure,” said Prady Iyyanki, CEO of GE Energy’s Jenbacher gas engine business.

GE’s authorized Jenbacher gas engine distributor Clarke Energy France is installing the units on behalf of project developer and investor GRS Valtech, a subsidiary of VEOLIA Environmental Services, in autumn 2008. The units are scheduled to enter commercial operation in November 2008.

To assure the optimal utilization of the landfill gas to generate power and heat, project developer GRS Valtech selected GE’s Jenbacher technology for its reliability, exceptional performance, efficiency and durability, combined with its advanced emissions controls to further reduce the engine’s environmental impact. CIVIS, the regional authority owns and operates the Saint-Pierre landfill.