The power frame of Ledesma is formed by:
· Natural gas: part of the demand of natural gas required for the working of the industrial plant comes from Aguaragüe site in the province of Salta where Ledesma has a shareholding of 4%.
· Hydroelectric plants: 3% of the power generated by Ledesma in Jujuy comes from hydroelectric power stations.
· Biomass: in 2008 due to environmental care reasons and lack of fossil fuels, the incorporation of bioenergy was put under analysis. In 2010, the “Biomass Project” was launched consisting in the generation of energy by two main sources: malhoja and wood.
SUGARCANE TRASH
Malhoja is the term used for the leaves and remains of the cane which are in the fields after the harvest. In order to maintain an organic cover and restore the extracted nutrients only 50% of the waste is removed after the harvest: a total of 7 tons per hectare each year are grinded and sent to the biomass boilers. This waste generates high pressure steam which, when processed in turbo-generators produce electric and thermal power which is later used in different industrial processes.
WOOD
Apart from the sugarcane trash and the pith returned from the paper production process, Ledesma incorporates wood chips to the boilers which come from their own energetic forestations, developed in their own fields which are not suitable for cane crops.
GEG EMISSIONS AND IMPACT REDUCTION
Since 2007 Ledesma makes an inventory of emissions of Greenhouse Effect Gases (GEG) in its agro-industrial complex in Jujuy. This allows for the assessment of risks and opportunities related to climate change, as well as for the implementation of programs for the reduction of emissions in each phase of the production process. The standard used for these measurements is the GHG Protocol of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute.
Also, in compliance with the Plan of Territorial Order, Ledesma keeps 100,000 wild ha in Jujuy under conservation, this territory works as “carbon deposits” since the atmospheric carbon absorbed by photosynthesis may remain there for very long periods of time.
