To grow while respecting our communities
and the environment.
That is the philosophy behind Boralex's actions and that is why the Corporation has focused primarily on the production of green energy. For more than 20 years, Boralex has concentrated primarily on the development and exploitation of renewable energy sites.
Green energy is electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as wind power, photovoltaic technologies (solar cells), biomass fuel (wood residues) and small hydroelectric power stations with a low environmental impact.
At Boralex, green energy means four types of power generation:
Wind Power: The Ultimate in Clean Energy
Produced by the power of the wind, wind energy is a renewable form of energy that does not generate any waste. The almost complete absence of environmental, visual and noise impacts makes wind power a source of green energy that is respectful of the environment and communities.
Boralex operates and is building wind farms in France and Canada. For each of its sites, Boralex places great importance on working with the communities involved. The Corporation ensures that ornithological, acoustic and noise studies are conducted so that it can minimize the impact of its activities and plan to revitalize certain areas.
Hydroelectric Power: Minimizing Our Environmental Footprint
The Boralex hydroelectric power stations are located in Canada and the United States. They are a source of clean and renewable energy. Unlike major hydroelectric developments, they do not involve the environmental impacts of river diversions, relocation of infrastructures and transmission lines that cross long distances.
Since Boralex's power stations are run-of-river structures, they only have a moderate impact on water flow and a minimal impact on aquatic fauna and flora. Because they are located near the communities that use the electricity, only a small amount of energy is lost during transmission.
Boralex is very respectful in its approach to building and restoring the sites that it acquires, so that it can develop their full potential to the benefit local communities.
By helping promote the recreational, touristic and heritage value of sites by protecting bodies of water within inhabited areas, the Boralex hydropower plants make a contribution to regional economic development.
Wood Residue Thermal Power: Enhance the resources
Energy from wood residue thermal power is green energy. Boralex, by treating wood-residues, values material.
In addition to being expensive, there are several negative impacts to disposing of wood residues in landfill sites: the materials take up space that could be used for non-recyclable waste and the leachate created when it decomposes contaminates the ground.
To protect air quality as much as possible, our wood-residue thermal power station is equipped with advanced combustion air and emission control systems. The conversion of wood residues into electricity prevents the emission of significant amounts of greenhouse gases that would otherwise be released through decomposition.
In addition to its thermal power station, Boralex owns and operates two natural gas cogeneration power plants. One of those plants sells its excess CO2 quota on the European carbon market. By using the cogeneration process, the facility achieves a higher level of thermal efficiency than the industry average, thus making optimal use of the natural resource of natural gas.
As an operator of thermal power plants, Boralex has learned to efficiently control its air emissions, to process and recycle its waste water, to manage the storage and handling of its waste and to recover its ash. All actions that have a direct positive impact on the environment.
Solar Power: An inexhaustible source of energy
A fourth sector and a promising segment for Boralex.