Research & Development Overview
Saint-Clair laboratory in Lyon (France).
It was around the time "Compagnie Générale des Eaux" was forming its Research Centre at rue d'Anjou in Paris, that Louis Pasteur was discovering a vaccine against rabies and new modern health regulations were coming into force thanks to an abundant supply of clean drinking water and the construction of wastewater systems. The water supply companies were answerable to the public authorities, for whom having high quality clean drinking water was now a major concern.
20 Years of Research and Expansion
Veolia Water is Number One in the world for publishing research on water and has a portfolio of more than 600 patents.
For 20 years Veolia Water has been developing a network of research centers working on advances in the areas of health and the environment.
- In 1982 the research centre, initially based at the company's headquarters, moved to Maisons-Laffitte, just outside Paris. It then became known as 'Anjou Recherche'.
- In 2001 following the acquisition by Veolia Water of a stake in the water supply company for Berlin, the Berlin Centre of Excellence for Water ("KompetenzZentrum Wasser Berlin") was set up.
This international centre, devoted to water research and the exchange of expertise, co-ordinates resources from Berlin's universities and research institutes, as well as those from the Group Berlinwasser and Veolia Water. This combined approach allows its affiliates and partners to work on projects in partnership with the best international technology centers.
- In 2003 the Environmental Analysis Centre,'Centre d'Analyses Environnementales' (CAE), was set up at Saint Maurice, just outside Paris. It co-ordinates all of Veolia Environnement's resources and expertise dedicated to environmental analysis and is the main analysis laboratory of Veolia Water.
Currently 350 researchers are meeting these challenges by providing innovative and cost-effective solutions. Additionally, by working with our ultimate parent, Veolia Environnement, we are able to call on an additional 833 experts.
The Goals
Research helps expand and diversify what Veolia Water is able to offer its own customers.
Veolia works closely with operational and technical departments in developing research programmes, with the following three goals:
- anticipating the needs of municipal and industrial customers, and anticipating new regulatory constraints which will have to be met;
- minimizing costs while at the same time improving quality and controlling the impact on the environment and health;
- innovating through the constant use of the latest tailored technology.
Major Developments
Actiflo® high-rate clarification
During the last 20 years Veolia Water has been working on developments in four main areas:
TREATMENT METHODS
80s
- water treatment process (drinking water) - Actiflo®;
- wastewater treatment process (by biological filtration) - Biostyr® .
90s
- a flameless biosolid combustion process - Athos® ;
- a biological deodorization process - Alizair® ;
- a biological treatment of wastewater (using immersed membranes) - Biosep® ;
- a stabilization and sterilization process for the treatment of biosolids - Saphyr®.