Name of the Project
West Guiana Power Plant (CEOG).

Location
Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, in French Guiana.

Project Owner/s
Meridiam (60%), Société Anonyme de la raffinerie des Antilles Groupe Rubis, SARA (30%) and Hydrogène de France (HDF) Energy.

Siemens will be the manufacturer and operator of CEOG.

Project Description
CEOG, also known as Centrale Électrique de l’Ouest Guyanais, is currently the biggest power plant project in the world to store intermittent renewable energy (128 MWh) using hydrogen.

The electricity will be supplied through a combination of a photovoltaic park, long-term and robust energy storage in the form of hydrogen and short-term storage using batteries.

It will provide a year-round supply of electricity for the equivalent of 10 000 homes in western Guyana at a cost lower than the territory's diesel plants.

The plant is designed to provide electricity 24/7, without interruption and without generating greenhouse gases, fine particles, noise or smoke.

The project is expected to prevent the emission of 39 000 t/y of carbon dioxide, compared with that of a thermal power plant.

Operating autonomously, the plant will also secure the electricity supply of the Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni basin in case of failure or maintenance of the electrical network.

It will be injected into the Guyanese electricity grid and its production will be governed by a 25-year capacity contract with French utility EDF.

Potential Job Creation
During its 25 years of operation, the plant will create about 20 permanent and qualified jobs in western Guyana, in addition to several dozen jobs created during its construction.

Capital Expenditure
The project will require a total investment of €170-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Construction started in September 2021 and commissioning is scheduled for April 2024.

Latest Developments
None stated.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
McPhy (electrolysers); and HDF (fuel cells).

Contact Details for Project Information
Meridiam, Antoine Lenoir, tel +33 6 07 50 7585 or email a.lenoir@meridiam.com.
HDF Energy, email ceog@hdf-energy.com.