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Turning two million people's waste into electricity

Recovery of biogas from landfilled, non-recyclable waste produces 130 GWh of electricity and 30 GWh of thermal energy every year at Veolia's Plessis-Gassot site in France.
Business case listing

PRODUCING ELECTRICITY FROM WASTE

The Plessis-Gassot site on the outskirts of Paris processes 950,000 metric tons of non-recyclable waste every year. Électr’od facilities (a term derived from the French électricité origine déchets, meaning “electricity from waste”) produce energy from biogas to deliver an annual 130 GWh, which is enough to meet the electricity needs of 41,200 households, not including heating.
 

MEETING LOCAL HEATING AND HOT WATER NEEDS

The site also generates 30 GWh of thermal energy each year. Part of this energy is absorbed by the site itself, with the rest used in the district heating network – providing heating and hot water for homes and public buildings – in the municipality of Plessis-Gassot. The process is compatible with non-hazardous waste facilities and biogas plants.

The drain on Earth's natural resources has risen by 65% in the space of 25 years. As an industry leader, it is up to us to find ways of saving these resources.
Bernard Harambillet
Managing Director, Veolia Environmental Services France

Key Figures

130 GWh of electricity per year

950,000 t of non-
recyclable waste processed

Customer benefits

  • Locally sourced clean energy
  • Comprehensive cost management
  • Smaller carbon footprint (preventing 18,950 metric tons of CO2 ) 

Solutions

  • Landfill: non-hazardous waste
  • Waste-to-energy: anaerobic digestion unit; energy recovery
  • Human resources: personnel management; vocational training
  • Reducing any impact on the natural environment: footprint assessment and optimization; biodiversity management