03/13/2008
Veolia Environnement has selected its site in Claye Souilly, near Paris, to study the installation of an industrial-scale pilot unit for the capture and geological storage of carbon dioxide. With an annual treatment capacity of 200,000 metric tons per year of CO2, the site will be the biggest of its kind in France to date. CO2 capture and geological storage are among the solutions able to contribute to global targets for greenhouse gas reduction.
Veolia Environnement began in 2005 a research program on the capture, transportation and storage of CO2 with the aim of improving knowledge and developing solutions to suit the differing sizes and types of its clients' facilities. Potential sites in Europe were identified as part of preliminary studies to select suitable places to install Veolia Environnement pilot units for CO2 capture, transportation and storage.
The research program has now entered a new stage, choosing industrial sites in the Paris area where Veolia Environmental Services operates non-hazardous waste-to-energy plants and landfill sites. The choice will enable the start of the operational with preliminary geological studies in partnership with Geogreen, a joint venture between IFP, BRGM and Géostock.
The studies will start with the Claye Souilly site, which offers favorable geographical characteristics for this kind of operation. Environmentally friendly solutions are already implemented at the site, including transforming captured biogas into electricity and transporting part of the waste by river.
The industrial pilot unit for integrated CO2 capture and storage will handle an annual amount of 200,000 metric tons of CO2 (the equivalent of the annual transport-related emissions generated by the transportation of 50,000 people équivalent).
The CO2 will be produced by the existing biogas-to-energy units and will be injected under supervision into a saline aquifer, located at a depth of more than 1,500 meters, for a period of several years.
The European Commission has set a target of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. As part of its Climate Action package adopted on January 23, 2008, the Commission mentions CO2 capture and geological storage as one of the main techniques able to contribute to global targets for greenhouse gas reduction. It recently put forward a regulatory framework for this technology and is encouraging the installation of demonstration pilot units to improve knowledge.
In France, the Grenelle Environment Round Table process is also encouraging this technology. The goal is to make the solution available as soon as possible.
Veolia Environnement, which is already a player in energy efficiency, and the development of renewable energy, alternative fuels and all operating solutions that better respect the environment, is now committing resources and research teams to this technology as part of the combat against climate change.
Veolia Environnement is world leader in environmental services.
With more than 300,000 employees the company has operations all around the world and provides tailored solutions to meet the needs of municipal and industrial customers in four complementary segments: water management, waste management, energy management and freight and passenger transportation.
Veolia Environnement recorded revenue of €32.6 billion in 2007.