Flagship projects and innovations

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT is committed to the continous improvement of research and innovation in the water and waste sectors. The Group has recently placed major innovative products on the market.

Water: responding to new challenges

With Lyonnaise des Eaux, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT is now using the Degrés Bleus technology at the Levallois-Perret Aquatic Centre (France). Using a process that recovers energy from the processing of wastewater to heat buildings, this innovative project is contributing to the climate and energy goals of the Group’s municipal customers. The city of Levallois was awarded the Ile-de-France Grand Prize for the Environment in the “energy” category for its installation of this green, ground-breaking system. The technology has also been installed in the Wattignies educational group located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris and in the precinct of the Élysée Palace (7th arrondissement). Furthermore, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT has developed a new tool for protecting water resources: NITRASCOPE. In France, protecting water resources represents a real challenge, given the Grenelle de l’Environnement description of sites threatened by various types of pollution, especially nitrates. Developed under the framework of a research programme financed byr R+i Alliance, NITRASCOPE is a decision-making tool that provides a perfect solution to this issue. Basically, NITRASCOPE is used to test the efficacy of various preventive solutions aimed at reducing nitrate concentrations in drinking water catchment areas.

New offers and innovative products enable the Group to respond to the issues and challenges facing customers:

  • “Sustainable resource management” helps anticipate network aging, providing effective management of long-term investments and municipalities’ sustainable development policies
  • “Rainwater” addresses flooding pollution by reducing investments in storage capacity and providing optimised real-time monitoring to limit environmental impact
  • “Influx” encourages early, dynamic management of wastewater treatment systems by anticipating weather events that may threaten water quality 

Pushing the boundaries in waste collection

In 2010, SITA France developed the first 100% electric domestic waste collection truck in partnership with manufacturers PVI, DOW KOKAM and SEMAT.

Able to collect 16 tonnes of waste in 2 rounds, this new vehicle has an ecological footprint that is 90% lower than that of a diesel vehicle.

The electrification of the traction chain, the truck’s auxiliary systems, and the collection mechanism of the packer truck reduce noise pollution. This new truck is able to collect at different time slots, freeing up roads at times when traffic is busier. Since May 2011, the city of Courbevoie (92) has been using the first vehicle of this type.

In partnership with ROS ROCA, (a subsidary of Ros Roca Environnement), SITA France is also designing and building a pneumatic household waste collection system for the French market. Pneumatic collection is based on fully underground transportation of waste via a vacuum suction technique. This technology has a high development potential for sustainable urban development projects and environmental protection.

Find out more

 

Vacuum collection

Ros Roca