Veolia leads consortium responsible for northern France wastewater plant

Veolia, via its subsidiary OTV, led a consortium responsible for designing and carrying out the works in a wastewater treatment plant in Bonneuil-en-France, a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in the north of the country.
The facility, which treats wastewater from 35 municipalities in the eastern district of the Val d'Oise department, was inaugurated on 29 September by the Syndicat Mixte pour l'Aménagement Hydraulique (SIAH) for the Croult and Petit Rosne Valley.
OTV will operate and maintain the plant until 2027.
As well as increasing the plant's treatment capacity and performance, the work, which is being carried out in line with a sustainable development approach, will enable wastewater to be used to produce green energy locally.
Worth a total of €199.4 million excluding VAT, of which €117 million was invested by OTV, this 10-year contract has increased the plant's treatment capacity from 350,000 to 500,000 population equivalent (P.E.).
The priority given to reusing existing structures (biological basins, pretreatment buildings, etc.) has helped to significantly reduce the construction's carbon footprint, as well as preserving sensitive natural areas, said Veolia.
The sludge generated by the purification process is used to produce biogas, which is purified using the MemGas process developed by Biothane, a Veolia subsidiary, before being injected into the existing 1 gas network.
This renewable green energy source corresponds to the annual gas consumption of 1,750 new homes heated with gas.
The heat produced by the treated water is also recovered using the Energido process 2 to heat the administrative buildings.
After treatment, some of the wastewater is reused as industrial water, reducing the pressure on water resources and helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The facility incorporates high-performance technologies that enable the Syndicat to comply with current environmental standards while anticipating those of the future, added Veolia.
At the treatment system's heart is the Hybas biological process developed by AnoxKaldnes, another Veolia subsidiary. This process combines MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor) technology with activated sludge in a single tank, providing a compact and effective solution for eliminating organic matter and nitrogen, a worldwide concern since it causes eutrophication of water, a phenomenon responsible for the proliferation of algae and the deterioration of aquatic ecosystems.
The Morée river will be given a new lease of life by improving water quality and restoring its landscape, continued Veolia.
Anne Le Guennec, senior executive vice president, worldwide water technologies at Veolia, said: “The SIAH's ambition to be a forerunner in terms of ecological transformation has enabled us to work together to make this plant an exemplary result.
"Veolia's expertise in water technologies, but also in energy management, makes it possible to transform what was once considered a waste product into a value-creating resource.
"From wastewater and sewage sludge, we produce biomethane, a local, renewable and affordable energy source — that's the ecology of solutions.”