Bioénergie Haïti welcomes the Ambassador of Canada

JUNE 3, 2022 – As part of the Canadian Government’s support for the populations of the various departments of Haiti and after visits to the North and the Great South, the Ambassador of Canada to Haiti, HE Sébastien Carrière, met returned to Gonaives on June 3, 2022 to learn about the evolution of the operations of Bioénergie Haïti (BEH), which is the result of an international collaboration since 2010 between representatives of Terre des jeunes Gonaives, Biothermica Technologies Inc. Terre des jeunes Transnational, the town hall of Gonaïves and members of civil society.

The Biothermica-BEH project has been offering a waste collection service in the city of Gonaïves since the end of 2017. Funded by Global Affairs Canada and Canadian companies, private and community sectors, its components will include the construction in Haiti of the first power plant coupling biogas and solar, generating carbon credits and other structures such as Waste Collection, a Transfer and Recycling Station and an engineered landfill (the “Project”). During this tour in the city of Haiti’s independence, the Ambassador of Canada to Haiti HE Mr. Sébastien Carrière visited the model district of rue Lozamar and rue Saint Charles, the field operations of Bioénergie Haïti as well as partner establishments for which a waste management agreement has been concluded with BEH.

During this visit to the city of Haiti’s independence, Ambassador Carrière expressed his support for this Canadian infrastructure company in climate mitigation (renewable energies) which has been investing in Haiti for several years. In addition, the Project will generate positive impacts in terms of economic benefits, public health, gender equality and sustainable development.

The Embassy of Canada in Haiti thus displays its pride in supporting the sustainable development objectives embodied by this Project. The current and future phases are: the non-intermittent power plant (energy from the landfill), the solar power plant (of 20 MW), the biogas power plant (of 10 MW), and finally, the coupling of the power plant. solar with the biogas plant.

According to HE Sébastien Carrière, “through this structuring project that creates jobs, Canada intends to reiterate its commitment alongside the Haitian people for greater resilience in the face of climate change and natural disasters through waste management and the production of clean and local energy”.

According to Mr. Guy Drouin, President of Biothermica, “the Project set up by Bioénergie Haïti will be inspired by an innovative economic model resulting from the booming climate finance, given the urgency of reducing greenhouse gases. generated by waste. Ultimately, it will be self-financing thanks to the carbon market and the sale of energy in the form of bottled gas and electricity. We are proud to provide all our technical support to the Bioénergie Haïti project, to the town hall and to the citizens of the Gonaïves”.

According to Mr. Augustin Dieuseul, General Manager of Bioénergie Haïti, “the management of Bioénergie Haïti is proud to welcome HE Mr. Sébastien Carrière for the visit of its waste collection operations in the model district of Gonaïves. In 2020, these were awarded an honorable mention by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as part of the IDB-FEMSA competition in which Caribbean and South American companies in the sanitation sector participated. We will continue to provide the town hall of Gonaïves and the population with quality service for the establishment and operation of the future landfill.”

Albert Albala, secretary-treasurer of Terre des jeunes transnational, notes that “Terre des jeunes’s main mission is to safeguard the environment, in particular by planting trees and rehabilitating mangroves. We are committed alongside our partners, Biothermica and the municipality of Gonaïves, because Bioénergie Haïti is an innovative vehicle that responds directly to our main mission, as well as to the majority of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. »

Ambassador Sébastien Carrière took the opportunity to meet with many personalities and local authorities, including the Mayor of the municipality of Gonaïves, BEH’s partner in waste collection, the Departmental Delegate of Artibonite.

The city of Gonaïves has been working in synergy with Bioénergie Haïti, Terre des jeunes and Biothermica since 2011. Me. Kesler Pierre Charles, Director General of the town hall of Gonaïves, hopes “that Bioénergie Haïti continues to make its way towards sanitation of the city of Gonaives to the great satisfaction of the population of Gonaives”.

In the afternoon, Ambassador Sébastien Carrière visited La Providence Hospital, expressing his support for HPG staff members who offer their services to the population despite the difficult conditions. Canada had made significant financial efforts for the construction, equipment and support for the management of this departmental hospital inaugurated in November 2014.

Pictured, from left to right: Dieuseul Augustin, CEO of Bioénergie Haïti; Mildrène Saint-Louis, Sampling Manager, Bioénergie Haïti; Luxene Pierre-Charles, Vice-Director, Bioénergie Haïti; the Ambassador of Canada to Haiti, HE Sébastien Carrière; Guy Drouin, President, Biothermica Technologies Inc.