Veolia implements a pioneering cold energy recovery solution in the port of Barcelona to produce local, carbon-free energy

Veolia launches the deployment of a residual cold recovery solution at the Enagás LNG terminal in Barcelona. A world first, this solution will allow the generation of 131 GWh of local, affordable and environmentally-friendly energy per year. Commissioning is scheduled for the 2nd quarter of 2024. This solution allows us to avoid the emissions linked to energy production that would have been necessary in the absence of recovered energy. This represents over 42,000 tonnes of CO2 avoided per year for the Barcelona project.

This innovation is part of Veolia's strategy to make the most of local, available and affordable energy. It allows to recover the energy emitted during the conventional regasification process, which circulates liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the seawater loop at minus 160°C in order to deliver it to the network in the form of gas at a temperature of around -2°C / 0°C. The cold generated during this process is generally rejected into the sea, and therefore lost.

With over 150 regasification terminals worldwide, this solution offers considerable technological potential, particularly for sites where urban and industrial densities are sufficiently suitable for its implementation.

Thanks to the cooperation with Enagás and the commitment of Barcelona City Council, Veolia will be able to supply the port area of Barcelona with decarbonated local energy, using energy from the residual cold of the LNG terminal, which will be recycled and reinjected into the urban grid. In this way, the project will contribute to the competitiveness of several industrial and tertiary sites, public infrastructures (Palacio de Congresos) and the Mercabarna, a major food market for the region, all located in the port area. This is a major asset for these economic players, who are seeking to decarbonize their energy consumption while controlling energy costs in an area undergoing major urban transformation and striving for sustainability.

"In the fight against global warming, we must do everything in our power to avoid unnecessary energy loss and waste. The recovery of waste heat and cold is thus a major component of Veolia's strategy for the ecological transformation of its energy mix. The replicability of the project initiated in Barcelona, which transforms lost cold into local, available and environmentally-friendly energy, opens up huge potential. Original and virtuous, it demonstrates the positive impact of territorial energy solutions on the decarbonization and competitiveness of territories," commented Estelle Brachlianoff, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia.

About Veolia

Veolia group aims to be the benchmark company for ecological transformation. In 2022, with nearly 213,000 employees worldwide, the Group designs and provides game-changing solutions that are both useful and practical for water, waste and energy management. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and replenish them. In 2022, the Veolia group supplied 111 million people with drinking water and 97 million people with wastewater service, produced nearly 44 terawatt-hours of energy and treated 61 million metric tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) generated consolidated revenue of €42.9 billion in 2022. www.veolia.com