History

In the economic climate that followed the oil shocks, Sidec (Société Industrielle pour le Développement de l’Énergie Charbon) was established at the initiative of the public authorities. Founded by the Charbonnages de France Group, its aim was to help industrial companies reduce the share of hydrocarbons in their energy production by enabling them to benefit from installations optimised in terms of efficiency and environmental performance.

As a result, the first cogeneration plants were developed across around thirty industrial sites (food processing, chemicals, automotive manufacturing, tyres and paper), producing both electricity and heat for use in the production processes of these various industries.

1992 marked a major turning point in our history. It was the year the world’s first hybrid bagasse/coal-fired cogeneration plant was commissioned at the Bois-Rouge site on Réunion Island. This facility combined cutting-edge technology with innovation by implementing the principles of the circular economy: the plant provided the on-site sugar mill with an improved energy supply solution by optimising the recovery of bagasse, the residue from sugar cane.

This innovative approach convinced Séchilienne, a subsidiary of Air Liquide, to acquire a stake in Sidec in 1994. It gradually became the majority shareholder, leading to the merger of the two companies in 2001 and the creation of Séchilienne-Sidec.

Building on the success of this new model, investment in biomass accelerated. The bagasse/coal plant model was replicated — again on Réunion Island with the commissioning of the Le Gol site in 1995, and subsequently in other overseas territories: in Guadeloupe in 1998 at the Le Moule site, and in Mauritius in 2000 at the Belle Vue site.

In 2004, we entered the mainland French wind power market with our first installation, which was sold in 2007.
In 2007, we commissioned a first 40 MW fuel oil-fired combustion turbine at Galion in Martinique. It was designed to meet peak demand and provide back-up support to the grid.
In 2011, we inaugurated the 38 MW ‘Caraïbes Énergie’ coal-fired thermal power plant at Le Moule in Guadeloupe.

At the same time, the thermal biomass model continued to expand, with the successive commissioning of: a second biomass unit at the Bois-Rouge site (46 MW) in 2004 on Réunion Island; a new facility at Saint-Aubin (30 MW) in 2005 in Mauritius; a second unit at Le Gol (58 MW) in 2006 on Réunion Island; and two 45 MW units at Savannah in 2007 in Mauritius.

Renewable energy also became an increasingly important driver of growth within our energy mix. The development of our solar portfolio continued across the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, French Guiana, mainland France, Spain and Italy, bringing total installed capacity to around 70 MW.

In January 2012, we embarked on a new strategy with the primary objective of initiating a transition to renewable energy. This strategy focuses on the energy recovery of biomass, complemented by a solar offering. In this context, we sold our wind power business to EDF Énergies Nouvelles at the beginning of 2013.

On 30 May 2013, we became Albioma. This new identity reflects our development strategy, placing the local valorisation of renewable energy — biomass — at the heart of our activities.

This ambition was also expressed through international expansion, with the acquisition in 2014 of the bagasse cogeneration plant at the Rio Prado sugar mill in Brazil, marking our entry into a market beyond French territory.

The warnings issued by the scientific and international community, reflected in the Paris Agreement and the Climate Plan of July 2017, have placed renewable and low-carbon energy at the heart of tomorrow’s challenges.

Through our strong presence in territories not connected to national grids, and our commitment to an ever-greater share of renewables (80% of energy produced by 2023), we are a key player in the energy transition in the French overseas territories. By offsetting the intermittency of wind turbines and solar panels, bagasse/imported biomass cogeneration provides an ideal solution for ensuring the stability of electricity grids.

In practical terms, on 26 September 2018, we commissioned Galion 2 in Martinique, the first 100% biomass/bagasse power plant in the French overseas territories.

We are also deploying the first combustion turbine operating predominantly on bioethanol on Réunion Island.

In the solar sector, as a leader in the French overseas territories, we continue to develop innovative projects incorporating storage solutions. In December 2018, we strengthened our presence in mainland France through the acquisition of Eneco France (now Albioma Solaire France), and in August 2022 we entered the Brazilian solar market with the acquisition of a portfolio of six power plants.