OMNICANE Thermal Energy

Operations (La Baraque) Limited

Installation and Operation of a
Carbon Burnout Facility for Coal
Ashesat Omnicane Sugar Cluster -
La Baraque
Environmental Impact Assessment

Issue | May 2013

Arup SIGMA Ltd

19 Church Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
www.arup.com
 OMNICANE Thermal Energy
Operations (La Baraque) Limited
Installation and Operation of a
Carbon Burnout Facility for Coal
Ashes at Omnicane Sugar Cluster
- La Baraque
Environmental Impact Assessment
EIA/2969/R001

Issue | 15 May 2013

This report takes into account the particular

instructions and requirements of our client.
It is not intended for and should not be relied
upon by any third party and no responsibility
is undertaken to any third party.

Job number 2969

Arup SIGMA Ltd

19 Church Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
www.arup.com
 OMNICANE Thermal Energy Operations (La Baraque) Limited Installation and Operation of a Carbon Burnout Facility for Coal Ashes
at Omnicane Sugar Cluster - La Baraque
Environmental Impact Assessment

Executive Summary
The present method of disposal of coal fly and bottom ashes in Mauritius is land
application, whether directly into sugar cane fields or as back fill materials, aggregates
(bottom ash) for estate roads, etc. This disposal method raises public concerns on the
risks of ground and surface water contamination through leaching of heavy metals
present in the ashes.
Moreover the availability of void spaces in sugar cane fields appropriate for land filling
is decreasing with time; hence this method of ash disposal cannot be sustained in the
medium to long term.
The Installation and Operation of a Carbon Burnout Facility for coal ashes at La
Baraque to convert coal fly and bottom ashes into additives for Portland cement, is the
most preferred option in the hierarchy for coal ash management and should allay public
fears on the impact of disposal of coal ashes in sugar cane fields and at the same time
provide a long term alternative to the management of coal ash in Mauritius.
OMNICANE Thermal Energy Operations (La Baraque) Ltd. (OTEOLB) operates a
Bagasse/Coal Power Station within the Sugar Cluster at La Baraque, in the district of
Savanne.
OTEOLB intends to construct and operate a Carbon Burnout (CBO) Facility (herein
after refers to The CBO) within the sugar cluster Site at La Baraque, The CBO will treat
the coal fly ash and coal bottom ash to a quality suitable for their reuse as additives to
Portland Cement and Cement mix respectively.
The CBO will treat the annual production of coal fly ashes and coal bottom ashes
produced by three Power Plants, namely OTEOLB, OTEO St Aubin and TERRAGEN.
The total amount of coal ashes to be treated per year are: 29,917 tonnes fly ash and
48,000 tonnes bottom ash.
The CBO consists inter alia:
CBO unit with a Fluidised Bed Boiler with heat recovery capable of treating 10
tonnes per hour of coal ashes (40% fly ash and 60% bottom ash) with the generation
of low pressure steam at a rate of 10 tonnes/hr using the energy from the un-burnt
carbon in the ashes.
An energy cogeneration unit operating on (70%) Coal and (30%) Biomass (wood
chips) capable of producing 3.8MW and 25tonnes of low pressure steam/hr for the
processes of the Sugar Refinery and Distillery. The electricity generated will be
used solely by the sugar cluster, namely the Sugar Refinery, the Distillery complex
and the auxiliaries of the CBO Facility all year round.
The amount of treated ashes produced by the CBO Facility will be: treated fly ash:
about 28,000 tonnes per year and 45,000 tonnes of treated bed ash.
Tests carried out on the treated coal fly ash and treated coal bed ash according to
international standards, have so far confirmed the suitability of these treated ashes as
additive to Portland Cement and Cement Mix. In this regard, Local Cement Importers
HOLCIM and LAFARGE have confirmed their intention to enter into Supply
Agreements with the Promoters.

EIA/2969/R001 | Issue | 15 May 2013 Page 1

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 OMNICANE Thermal Energy Operations (La Baraque) Limited Installation and Operation of a Carbon Burnout Facility for Coal Ashes
at Omnicane Sugar Cluster - La Baraque
Environmental Impact Assessment

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reviews the probable impacts of the
construction and operation of the CBO Facility on the natural and built environments.
The main conclusions are:
No Impacts: The proposed CBO Facility will have no or insignificant impacts on the
visual and aesthetics assets of the site, potable water supply, telecommunications,
industrial water supply, on-going generation of wastewaters (process and domestic type)
solid waste collection and road network.
Potential Negative Environmental Impacts
Potential negative environmental impacts of the proposed CBO Facility have been
identified and the associated mitigation measures recommended.
Potential negative environmental impacts are mainly associated with:
Fugitive emissions of particulate matter
Gaseous emissions
Traffic flow in the vicinity of the sugar cluster
Environmental and Social Management Plan
A number of mitigation measures and monitoring requirements are identified in this
Environmental Impact Assessment report. Some of the main measures include inter
alia:
Selection of process equipment and technology for the CBO Facility to meet
environmental quality objectives.
Monitoring of the stack emissions from the CBO Facility using continuous
emissions monitoring system. Moreover the stack emissions will be controlled every
three months by the University of Mauritius;
Monitoring of ambient air quality around the Sugar Cluster every three months.
There are presently five (5) monitoring stations, two additional monitoring stations
are recommended.
Monitoring of the ambient noise level for the CBO Facility and generally for the
Sugar Cluster at La Baraque, twice every year by an independent organisation.
Positive Impacts will result from inter alia:
Elimination of land disposal of untreated coal fly and bottom ashes and any
environmental risks associated with this practice.
Fly ash replacement of Portland Cement is associated with the potential for a net
savings in currency expenditure of Rs 64M per year;
The creation of employment opportunities not only for trades, technicians at
Construction Stage, but also for the administration, operation and maintenance of
the CBO Facility;
The energy cogeneration unit of the CBO Facility will result in an avoidance of
pressure on the national grid which otherwise will have to invest to mobilise at least
2.5MW of electricity to meet the requirements of the CBO Facility and the Distillery
complex;
The energy cogeneration unit will have an overall efficiency of 85% and designed to
operate on 30% Biomass (wood chips) and 70% Coal.

EIA/2969/R001 | Issue | 15 May 2013 Page 2

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[FINAL].DOCX
 OMNICANE Thermal Energy Operations (La Baraque) Limited Installation and Operation of a Carbon Burnout Facility for Coal Ashes
at Omnicane Sugar Cluster - La Baraque
Environmental Impact Assessment

The Greenhouse Gas Emissions of the proposed energy cogeneration unit is 45%
less than that of a conventional standalone plant operating on 100% coal.

Mr. Rajiv RAMLUGON

Group Chief Sustainability Officer
OMNICANE

Dr. Patrick HAREL Dr. Alan SAM-SOON

M.Sc., D.U.S., Ph.D. BSc (Chem. Eng) Ph. D. (Eng)
Director Consultant
ARUP SIGMA ARUP SIGMA

EIA/2969/R001 | Issue | 15 May 2013 Page 3

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[FINAL].DOCX