Will switching to renewables solve Réunion's self-sufficiency problem?

Although laudable, switching to renewables will not solve the self-sufficiency problem. The renewable sources Réunion uses to generate electricity will still be mainly imported from abroad. “Forests will be cut in Canada to put in our furnaces in Réunion island,” says Mathieu David, who studies mechanics and energy at the University of La Réunion.

Why is Réunion so worried about energy imports?

Part of this concern stemmed from Réunion’s over-reliance on imports, including for energy, says Russeil, who is now at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment in Paris.

How can a new energy system be made in Réunion?

This includes replacing sugar cane with different food crops; restricting urbanization; increasing the capacity for producing energy from waste; significantly scaling up photovoltaics that convert sunlight directly into energy; and convincing Réunion islanders to make certain lifestyle changes.

Is electricity self-sufficiency possible on Réunion?

Although electricity self-sufficiency on Réunion is theoretically possible, there are still a number of constraints imposed by factors such as nature, technology and economics. The island’s remote location and geographical features are serious challenges for starters.

Could Réunion be the first region to send food and energy?

“If there’s climate-change problems, or war, or any political conflict in the world, Réunion wouldn’t be the first region where people would think to send food or energy,” says Jean Philippe Praene, who studies renewable energy at the University of La Réunion in Saint Denis. “So we have to be as self-sufficient as possible.”

Could Réunion be a sustainable country?

And there are other sustainable options that Réunion could pursue that don’t require complete self-sufficiency, such as purchasing a small amount of renewable fuel from abroad — for example, green hydrogen from Australia. Far from a failing, Grondin says, this would just be a smart way to strategize.