The mission
Our candidates are on a worldwide mission to analyze, understand and discover the richness of energy and environment activities. Like all GDF SUEZ employees, they are committed to responsible energy.
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The 2 teams
Perrine and Julien
currently in France
Marc and Laure
currently in France
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Tell me about SHEM |
06/04/2011 |
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Former railway employees producing electricity in the Pyrenees? It sounds unlikely, but this is what is happening with SHEM (Société Hydro Electrique du Midi). Jean-Luc Ducombs explains. |
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Grenelle de l’Environnement has set an objective for renewable energy to account for 20% of the energy mix in France by 2020, in order to meet European expectations. Hydroelectricity is the leading source of renewable energy, and has been for generations. Sometimes it is easy to forget.
SHEM has been operating plants since 1902. It is currently the third largest French producer with 51 plants and 12 high dams, or an installed capacity of 778 MW (the equivalent of 10 biomass plants like the one at Awirs).
Hydroelectric energy from dams is very flexible (unlike thermal, for example), and is an advanced source of energy. Plants are started up only if there is high demand, to respond to peak consumption periods in the morning and in the evening, for example, or when the dam is full, of course! As a result, it becomes the cheapest source.
The water is not imbibed, but turbined (and usually twice instead of once).
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