By Philippe Rodrik

The Basel-based group intends to use colza to provide heat and lighting for a thousand English households

Syngenta is turning its attention to power generation. From next August, the Basel-based company will be taking part in the operation of a 1 megawatt power plant in Yorkshire, in Northern England. The facility will supply energy to a thousand households and is to burn colza as its raw material. In developing this activity, the world leader in agrochemicals swears that it will not be using GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Its main opponent in Europe, José Bové, appears confident (see adjacent article).

Perhaps these vast yellow fields spread out over our countryside will one day be providing light for our houses. The seed is sown in spring and the colza harvested in summer. The colza seeds are then pressed and the oil obtained in this way is burnt. With an appreciable yield, this combustion process enables electricity to be generated and injected immediately into the grid.

Syngenta is setting up a project on an unprecedented scale. Next March, the English farmers will be planting the seed known as “Royal”, a jewel in the crown of the Basel group, on 400 hectares of land. The yield of this colza variety is exceptional. In August, the crop will be delivered to the power plant operated by the partner Springdale. The scale of this plant is roughly equivalent to a row of six garages for cars.

But this is just the beginning! The Basel group has already announced that 2% of the country’s electricity consumption can be covered if the entire UK production of colza is converted into bio-energy. “And if the Royal seed is also sown out on all the fallow land, 4 to 5% of total demand can be satisfied in Great Britain”, according to the Syngenta spokesman in London, Andrew Coker.

The price is still high

A Syngenta/Springdale kilowatt hour costs the user 14 centimes, i.e. twice the price of ordinary electricity. But the market looks promising. All over Europe, the green awareness is gaining ground. Signatory States of the Kyoto agreements are in a hurry to respect their commitments and promote the use of bio-energies.

The future generators of electricity from colza also claim that they will be in a position to cut their prices if they can increase the number of hectares under cultivation. Andrew Coker maintains that “The environmental impact of burning colza oil remains negligible”! That may be the case, but the green organizations are still asking questions about the Syngenta project.

For the past ten years or so, the Swiss company has been endeavouring to improve farm yields by the use of GMOs. Over 70% of the citizens in the European Union refuse to eat that kind of food. So if they cannot impose such crops for food purpose why not defend GMOs for the production of electricity, a clean energy source? “That is idle speculation”, according to the spokesman for the Basel company.

However, on 19 May last, the European Commission announced the lifting of its moratorium on GMOs which had been imposed in 1998. “A great day for consumer freedom!” in the words of the Commissioner responsible, David Byrne. In his enthusiasm, the Irishman threatened legal action against any Member States which failed to implement this decision. One of the main potential beneficiaries of this firm approach is none other than Syngenta.

A fuel

* Colza has several virtues including that of its potential suitability as a fuel for automobiles. Since last June, several service stations, including Migrol, have been selling diesel fuel with a 5% colza extract content.

* The price of this fuel is 2 centimes higher than that of normal diesel. But Migrol regards it as a contribution to the fight against the greenhouse effect.

* But the Federal Office of the Environment is sceptical. “Colza is a problem crop because it requires the use of large quantities of pesticides which are harmful to bees.” (e.e)