SUEZ launches 3 major initiatives in the presence of Chinese and French leaders Paving the way for a low-carbon future

SUEZ and Envision, a leader in green technology, have joined forces through a strategic partnership illustrated by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Net-Zero Battery Industrial Park (NZIP) in France. This initiative encompasses a wide range of components, from renewable energy supply to battery recycling and digital decarbonisation platforms, with the aim of fostering a sustainable electric vehicle and battery energy storage industry in France and driving the energy transition in Europe. Additionally, for localising the batteries industry, France would become the central battery recycling hub for Europe.

This strategic alliance not only enhances SUEZ's recycling capabilities for batteries but also accelerates SUEZ and its customers’ own journey towards carbon neutrality. With both industry leaders committed to this endeavour, the partnership is poised to set a precedent in the energy, storage, and recycling sector.

Lei Zhang, Founder and CEO of Envision, said, "This strategic partnership with SUEZ to develop the local French Net-Zero Battery Ecosystem extends our battery technology to recycling. With SUEZ, and leveraging our renewable energy system solution and decarbonisation platform, we aim to accelerate the journey to Net Zero. We are proud to support France to become the central hub of Europe for net-zero battery recycling.”

SUEZ and Chongqing Sanfeng Environment have strengthened their strategic partnership by signing a new agreement in the Waste-to-Energy sector. Waste-to-Energy plants use advanced incineration technologies to convert residual waste into electricity and heat, resulting in a significant reduction in waste volume by nearly 90%. This process also extends the lifespan of landfills while reducing fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, it fosters local energy recovery cycles, effectively turning waste into a valuable resource for sustainable energy production.

This agreement underscores the commitment of both companies to capitalising on their complementary technologies, products, and services in international markets. Their shared objective is to maximise mutual benefits and drive innovation in the global Waste-to-Energy sector.

According to Gaoshang Liao, Chairman of Chongqing Sanfeng Environment, “SUEZ, a global leader in environmental services renowned for its cutting-edge technology and exceptional services, stands as a vital strategic partner for Chongqing Sanfeng Environment. As a leading company in China’s waste management industry, Sanfeng has solid experience and expertise in technology research and development, equipment manufacturing, engineering and construction, as well as operation and management across the whole industry chain. This new agreement will further strengthen our strategic partnership in areas such as project investment, EP and EPC contracting and operations. We look forward to expanding our global footprint together by leveraging our complementary advantages and pioneering the high-quality development of the China-France collaboration in sustainable energy, making more contributions to the innovative transformation of the industry globally.”

Dongguan Water Group has awarded SUEZ a contract to design, supply, and install technologies and engineering services to construct a local large-scale stand-alone sludge incineration plant. Designed to handle 2,000 tonnes of municipal sludge daily, this state-of-the-art facility will serve over 50 wastewater treatment plants across the Chinese city of Dongguan, making it one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Expected to be operational within 30 months, the facility will transform significant volumes of municipal sludge into an estimated 96 million kWh of local sustainable electricity annually at full capacity — sufficient to power 400,000 households for a month. It will also help reduce about 55,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. This initiative highlights the commitment of both SUEZ and Dongguan Water Group to meeting Dongguan’s comprehensive waste management needs, while promoting sustainable energy solutions and advancing China’s carbon neutrality goals.

Feng Luo, Executive Director of Dongguan Shangyuan Huanneng Science and Technology Company Limited, a subsidiary of Dongguan Water Group, noted, “The Dongguan sludge centralised treatment and disposal project stands as a pivotal endeavour of the local municipal government, aligning with its commitment to green and low-carbon development. This initiative prioritises effective management of sludge and water resources, alongside robust measures for water pollution prevention and control, all aimed at fostering a more picturesque Dongguan. Our collaboration with SUEZ, a global leader in environmental services, in jointly promoting this landmark project highlights our commitment and resolution to environmental protection and sustainable development. It also demonstrates our expertise and technological innovation in minimising, harmlessly treating and converting sludge into resources. We look forward to growing the Dongguan centralised sludge disposal facility into a world-class model project in sludge reduction and resource utilisation for developing a green and low-carbon circular economy.”