In Figeac, the wood heating network project warms spirits

In recent weeks, the peaceful Laurensou subdivision in Figeac has been in turmoil. Very close to the Masbou college, local residents learned a month ago that the city’s future wood-fired heating network would rise from the ground on communal land located below the factory. “We didn’t know at all. We thought there would be a gymnasium on this site and that the heating network would be built in Panafé. There was no consultation” regret the members of the newborn Laurenson collective, who do not hide their concerns “Here we will have the largest wood-burning boiler room in the Lot. It is the consternation of local residents who will be affected by numerous inconveniences, the main ones being fine dust”. location near many houses and a school Their questions also concerned potential acoustic and visual disturbances and the frequency of trucks passing by to supply the site.

When questioned, the town hall of Figeac asked the Syded du Lot in charge of the project to meet the legitimate information needs of local residents. In a few days, a trip will also be organized with the voluntary and elected residents to Gourdon to discover on the spot equipment comparable to that envisaged at Figeac.

“This is the sixteenth wood heating network in the department carried out by Syded du Lot, who has had a real perspective, for more than 15 years, on these installations and all the necessary data” recalls Guillaume Baldy, deputy mayor of Figeac and also vice president by Syded du Lot. The elect wants to reassure, with supporting data, the absence of harmful effects on health and the environment.

“A virtuous response to a real emergency”

“Be wary of eccentric data found on the internet and not confuse it with wood burning pollution that comes from open fireplaces and hearths,” he warns. Heating networks are equipment that is hyper-controlled by independent organizations and also monitored by DREAL and ARS. The air measurements are well below the authorized threshold for fine particles, the famous PM 10 and PM 2.5. The standard is 50 µg/m3, the two boilers at Gourdon are at 2 and 0.375. The quality of the wood is also guaranteed, a local resource thanks to a fully integrated supply chain. These boilers are particularly efficient with optimized combustion and equipped with electrofilters”.

Another argument adduced: the air quality measured by AtmoOccitanie, which places Lotto at the top of the Region’s ranking. “The department has 15 heating networks so if they pollute it would show in these results, but the Lot is green everywhere.” In this context of energy crisis, Guillaume Baldy also underlines the advantage of this heating network which will supply the largest energy-intensive buildings in Figeac and more than a hundred homes. “It is a virtuous response to a real emergency. The heating network replaces fossil fuels, today the gas mainly used in Figeac. This is 950 tonnes of oil equivalent replaced by green and renewable energy, or 2,500 tonnes of CO2 saved per year,” estimates the elected official.

A weight equation that could help convince the most skeptical.