Once upon a time

If visiting Reunion Island 300 years ago, you would never have seen a sugar cane. In fact, the introduction of sugar cane went step by step.
In 1805, Xavier Bellier created in Bois Rouge a distillery which was transformed as a sugar refinery two years later. His son, Adrien, extended this domain on many counties on the East coast and employed up to 300 slaves to work on plantations and in the factory.
In the middle of the 19th century the Indian servicemen arrived in Reunion Island.
As the years went by, Bois Rouge made money: the metamorphosis operates evolving with the introduction of new techniques coupled with the change of owners.
In the 80’s, Bois Rouge adopted a very ambitious modernisation scheme. In 1992, a important turn happened with the building of the power station supplying Distillerie de Savanna with energy and facilities. In 2001, the Bois Rouge Sugar Refinery joined a cooperative group, TEREOS.

The stakes of the sugar cane industry in Reunion Island

In Reunion Island, the sugar cane industry stands for one of the major asset concerning the development of the island as 5,000 harvesters rely on sugar cane. This industry employs directly and indirectly 12,000 people and represents 80% of the exportations. The sugar cane industry has also its print on the history and the sceneries of Reunion Island. It contributes to the environmental equilibrium as far as the large harvests absorb a large part of carbonic gas, fight ground erosion and provide a clean and renewable energy.
The sugar cane industry benefit from a research and development laboratory of high importance: the C.E.R.F. This laboratory selects with the process of natural hybridising some varieties of sugar cane to be exported worldwide.
Sugar cane stands for durable development as it is valuable in its totality. The grinded sugar cane, also named “bagasse”, is burned by the Bois Rouge power station in order to produce steam and electricity.
With the burning of bagasse, the two power stations of Reunion Island supply the island with almost a quarter of the electricity needed. Another example of the valuable aspect of the sugar cane: planteurs use sugar cane foams to enrich their soils.
Sugar cane is a grass that is plant every seven years. By taking cuttings, many sprouts can be obtained along with only one stem. To grow, the sugar cane needs sun and water. Irrigation is at stake in the island which invest with Europe in developping the transfer of water between East and West.

The Bois Rouge Refinery

Sugar cane is cut from June to December corresponding to the sugar cane crop. The harvest can be manual or mechanical. Once harvested, sugar cane is driven to reception centres, loaded in trucks and then weighed and analyzed. Weigh and richness are essential to determine how much producers are going to be paid. The manufactory of Bois Rouge produces 900 tons/day, works 24/24, 6 days a week during 6 months per year.

Eurocanne

The sugar produced in Bois Rouge is received by Eurocanne that is the first European centre of storage and packaging of special sugars.
During crop, 600 tons of sugar are poured in the silo. This silo has a capacity of storage up to 25,000 tons during the inter-crop meaning while the suagr refinery has stopped its production. The hygiene and security conditions and standards are very rigourous.
85% of the production aims at being exportated. Eurocanne markets the Bois Rouge sugars under the “Sucrerie de Bourbon” trademark.