PR Newswire/Les Echos/
Press Release
RHODIA ENERGY SERVICES LAUNCHES TWO BIOGAS PROJECTS IN ASIA
Paris, France, December 9th, 2010 --- Following its entry into the biogas
market in 2009 with the acquisition of the Econcern Group's participation in a
number of pilot plants in China and Vietnam, Rhodia Energy Services is today
announcing the launch of two biogas projects in Asia. Rhodia Energy will
manage the design and the construction of both facilities, as well as the
operations and the sales of the biogas produced.
"Building on our unique expertise in energy optimization and CO2 emission
reduction, we have rapidly and successfully acquired new technological
expertise in the field of biogas. The learnings from these pilot projects have
given us confidence in our ability to replicate the business model to
additional projects", commented Philippe Rosier, President of Rhodia Energy
Services. "Our ambition, to build a network of clean technology facilities to
produce energy from biogas, is perfectly in line with our strategy to develop
Climate Care solutions."
In Southern China, Rhodia Energy has partnered with the Siyuan ethanol factory
to build a covered lagoon reactor, specializing in the treatment of waste
water. This facility, which began operations in March 2010, will produce
150,000 m3 of biogas per day by January 2011 and reduce CO2 emissions by
100,000 tons CO2-equivalent per year.
The second project, based at the Nuoc Trong cassava starch factory in Vietnam,
has recently started operations. In the coming months it will produce
15,000 m3 of biogas daily from the treatment of cassava starch effluents. The
unit will also reduce CO2 emissions by 12,000 tons per year at full capacity.
About biogas:
Biogas is a mix of methane and CO2 obtained from the fermentation of biowastes.
Biogas is a renewable energy that can be used to produce electricity or heat.
Biogas production provides a triple benefit for the environment: by
substituting energy from fossil fuels, reducing methane emissions into the
atmosphere and offering clean treatment of waste.
Rhodia Energy Services is a Global Business Unit (GBU) of the Rhodia chemical
group. It is in charge of energy supply management for the Group as a whole
and responsible for managing projects initiated by Rhodia with a view to
reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and to combating climate change. Energy
supply management includes the purchase, production and sale of energy. Rhodia
Energy Services manages energy procurement activities for a total of
approximately EUR1 billion worldwide. It is a founding member of Exeltium, a
consortium set up to purchase electricity generated from nuclear energy in
France. In the area of CO2 abatement, Rhodia Energy Services registered in
2005 two of the largest Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects completed
under the Kyoto Protocol, enabling it to obtain one of the largest portfolios
of carbon credits in the world. Since 2009, Rhodia Energy has consolidated its
expertise by investing in the development of Climate Care solutions, based on
the transformation of biomass or organic waste to clean energy, and is
developing several projects in Asia, Brazil and Europe.
Rhodia is an international chemical company resolutely committed to
sustainable development. As a leader in its businesses, the Group aims to
improve its customers' performance through the pursuit of operational
excellence and its ability to innovate. Rhodia is the partner of major players
in the automotive, electronics, flavors and fragrances, health, personal and
home care markets, consumer goods and industrial markets. The Group employs
around 13,600 people worldwide and generated sales of EUR4.03 billion in 2009.
Rhodia is listed on Euronext Paris.
For more information, please visit our website www.rhodia.com
Contacts
Media Relations
Lamia Narcisse Phone : +33 (0)1 53 56 59 62
Investor Relations
Maria Alcon Hidalgo Phone : +33 (0)1 53 56 64 89
Benjamin Bruneau Phone : +33 (0)1 53 56 64 42
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