Energy company TotalEnergies and resource management-focused company Veolia agreed to broaden their partnership through a new memorandum of understanding aimed at speeding up the shift toward cleaner energy and more efficient resource use.

The collaboration combines their respective expertise in energy and environmental management to develop large-scale solutions that lower emissions and conserve water across industries.

Specifically, Veolia will apply its experience in water and waste management, while TotalEnergies will contribute its expertise in cutting methane emissions and providing low-carbon energy. 

Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, said: 

“Together, we can make a concrete contribution to the energy transition and the circular economy. We are convinced that cooperations like those we are developing with Veolia are very useful to make tangible progress and sustainably limit the environmental footprint of our companies.”

Among the joint initiatives is the possible rollout of TotalEnergies’ AUSEA drone system, a technology designed to measure and locate methane leaks at landfills. Early trials have shown the drones can deliver consistently precise results, helping Veolia advance its objective of capturing 80% of landfill methane by 2032.

The partnership also aims to reduce TotalEnergies’ freshwater use by one-fifth by 2030 compared to 2021 levels at facilities in high-stress water areas. Building on recent work in Saudi Arabia, the companies plan to expand wastewater reuse at industrial sites, convert municipal wastewater for production processes and employ Veolia technologies to improve water treatment performance.

TotalEnergies will also support Veolia in powering desalination plants with renewable energy. The two firms previously worked together on the largest solar-powered desalination project in Oman, a model for future facilities as Veolia targets doubling its desalination capacity this decade while shrinking its energy footprint.

Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia, said: 

“By combining our expertise, whether in sustainable water management, the circular economy or the reduction of methane emissions, we are putting our innovation capabilities at the service of the ecological transformation and the competitiveness of our industries.”

This follows an agreement between the two companies in 2022, in which they agreed to produce biomethane from Veolia waste and water treatment facilities operating in more than 15 countries, with Veolia bringing its expertise in the production and processing of biogas, and TotalEnergies contributing its knowledge of the biomethane value chain. 

As part of this ongoing agreement, the partners intend to pool research efforts to extract valuable materials such as rare earth elements from underused waste streams.