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In line with the objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions set by the French Grenelle Environment Forum, this new biomass boiler plant is evidence of the stated commitment by the urban community of Cergy- Pontoise to give priority to renewable energy for its district heating network.

Operated by Dalkia, a Veolia Environnment subsidiary, and EDF-French electricity utility, it accounts for 22% of the energy supplied by Cyel, the Cergy-Pontoise district heating company that provides heating to an equivalent of 32,000 households is raising the network's percentage of renewable energy to more than 60%.

The biomass used at the site is sourced from clean recycled timber (35%), urban pruning chip from the West Paris region (25%), forest chip from forests also in West Paris region (20%), and compost screenings (20%).

As the largest and one of the most innovative boiler plants in France, the Cergy-Pontoise facility will provide numerous benefits for the community:

• Ecological benefits
  Resulting in a substantial 20% decrease in CO2 atmospheric emissions, that is, 16,000 metric tons a year, it will help combat climate change and protect resources.
• Economic benefits
  Biomass is a particularly competitive source of energy compared with fossil fuels. It is also immune from the price fluctuations that characterize fossil fuels, thereby improving visibility for operating costs.

Also, by enabling the network to lift the percentage of renewable energy resources above the 50% threshold, the use of biomass means users will see the tax on their entire energy bill drop to the lower 5.5% VAT rate.