France/ Bossay-sur-Claise: Mills to produce electricity

The activities of the Association of Friends and Users of the Claise and its tributaries (AAUCA) have been disrupted by the pandemic. The general meeting scheduled for 21 March was postponed and then cancelled, as were the country and mill heritage days. Volunteers from the association took part in maintenance work on the Roche-Berland weir with the agreement of Yohann Sionneau, river technician for Loches Sud Touraine.

At the beginning of 2021, the AAUCA signed a partnership agreement with five other associations to organise events around the future greenway. The role of the association would be to visit several mills on the Claise, which represent the third largest heritage in France.
The association also aims to help and encourage project owners to transform their site to produce hydroelectricity. According to topographical surveys, the Ris mill in Bossay-sur-Claise could produce the equivalent of the annual consumption of more than 40 households and generate a saving of 16 tons of CO2.
For the members of the association, " this energy, by the revival of existing sites, presents a remarkable ecological balance which makes it one of the essential renewable energies supported by the energy-climate law". They deplore " certain choices of ecological continuity which lead to favouring the destruction of mill weirs instead of equipping them with fish passes when this is necessary". They consider that these measures are administrative brakes that block this potential for energy transition.
Alerted by associations for the defence of the mill heritage on the problems encountered by project developers, Fabienne Colboc, MPe of the 4th district, visited the Ris mill in February, at Patrick Luneteau's home, in the presence of the mayor, representatives of the associations concerned and the Force Hydro-Centre company.

Source: www.lanouvellerepublique.fr