Collections, sorting and recycling operations

Reducing the emissions from our fleet is a top priority, and we are driving the decarbonisation of our fleet across all areas of our business. An example is the introduction of fleets of Electric Refuse Collection Vehicles in London since 2019. And soon, they will be charged by the electricity generated from the waste treated through our Energy Recovery Facilities (ERF).

Decarbonising Energy-from-Waste

Our priority is to ensure recyclates are diverted from ERFs. This has a significant impact on reducing emissions from ERFs and this is why we are investing in recycling infrastructure. We are undertaking a Carbon Capture trial at our Sheffield ERF with the aim of deploying Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technology wherever feasible.

As part of their April 2019 Public Interest Commitment, English water companies made the commitment to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions for the sector by 2030, with the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland working to similar long-term targets for emissions reduction.

Key areas for the water sector are to reduce current operational GHG emissions, and produce and use renewable energy generation and bioresources, with Veolia already making important progress across these key areas.

Reducing operational GHG emissions

We have implemented a number of energy optimisation measures to both reduce energy consumption and increase operational productivity. For example, at our Seafield Wastewater Treatment (WWT) site we upgraded the digestion process as well as implementing energy optimisation measures. This led to an additional production of biogas, increasing the renewable electricity generated by the on-site CHP facility by an extra 1,898 MWh per year. This reduced our reliance on imported electricity and supported a saving of 442 tCO₂e (Scope 2 emissions). In addition, at our East Calder WWT, optimisation has been implemented, reducing the need for road transportation of sludge by an equivalent of 35,040 miles.

Generating low carbon, renewable energy
We continue to increase our production of low carbon and renewable energy and have so far been able to deliver over 560 MWe of renewable and low carbon electricity to power over 1.3 million homes. We are also set to double our renewable electricity generation capacity from solar panels, through deployment across restored landfill sites. By increasing capacity by up to 60 MW, these projects, combined with biomass and biogas generation, will provide a total of 134 MWe of carbon neutral electricity, and 90 MWth of renewable heat.

Our energy teams have developed and pioneered Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technology, including bio-fuelled CHP, with hydrogen-ready CHP units currently being installed. These energy sources have been used to power our District Heating Networks (DHN) which provide heat for over 30,000 homes and more than 100 UK hospitals, as well as 60 university campuses.

These collective efforts ensure that we can deliver low carbon, renewable electricity and heat to be used across a wide range of applications in industry, commerce, residential and public sectors.

Improving energy efficiency
We have made further energy savings across our DHNs, through control improvements which reduced our gas and biomass usage. For example, at our Erith Park and Brook House DHNs, we reduced the use of our CHP installations, saving approximately 500 MWh of gas per year.

We have made further improvements to the energy efficiency of our operations. At our ERFs, we have upgraded our lighting systems and our boilers by improving their thermal efficiency and reducing parasitic load. For example, a secondary Air Fan inverter was installed at our Ellesmere Port facility in June 2020, delivering an electricity consumption reduction of 348 MWh per year.

Veolia Ireland is working with its customers so they can lead the way in improving their environmental performance.

eBay Ireland was the first in its global organisation to achieve ISO 50001 certification for energy management, thanks to the services of Veolia helping it to reduce annual electricity use by 20%, gas by 35% and water by 10%.

Furthermore, UPMC Whitfield was the first hospital in the UK and Ireland to achieve the same certification. The first private and public healthcare sector Energy Performance Contracts were put in place between Veolia Ireland and Stewarts Care (voluntary hospital – winner of Best Energy Service Project in the Public Sector by European Energy Service Initiative), UPMC Whitfield & UPMC Aut Even (winner at SEAI Sustainable Energy Awards), Mater Misericordiae Hospital (1st public hospital EPC – reducing carbon footprint by 81,000 tonnes) and St James Hospital (largest public hospital EPC – reducing carbon footprint by 118,380 tonnes). We also work with Marino Institute of Education and helped them to form a Better Energy Community to bring long-term energy savings on campus, reducing carbon emissions by 25%.

The Ireland Business Unit has helped multiple pharmaceutical and high-tech customers to eliminate waste to landfill, and significantly increase their recycling and recovery rates, also introducing circular solutions. Over the last five years one pharmaceutical customer has seen: its largest waste volume stay in Ireland and recovered for use as an alternative fuel in the cement industry, its waste to landfill eliminated and 90 non-hazardous waste streams identified and segregated for recycling, and its carbon footprint further reduced thanks to transport adjustments.

Veolia Ireland is currently finalising commissioning on Ireland’s first energy-self-sufficient sludge treatment plant for our customer Irish Water at Osberstown in Co. Kildare, and which utilises advanced anaerobic digestion in combination with patented Veolia technologies. This is reducing the plant’s CO₂ emissions by 8,500 tonnes per annum. Veolia has also helped Polecat Springs Group Water Scheme to become the first Group Water Scheme to use renewable solar energy to directly power its water treatment plant.

Veolia Ireland is accredited to the Business Working Responsibly Mark, based on ISO 26000, since 2016 and renewed in 2019, one of only 40 companies to hold this accreditation. We are a member of the Leaders Group on Sustainability of Business in the Community Ireland, being on the committee of the Low Carbon subgroup which developed the Low Carbon Pledge and contribute to various thought leadership sessions on the Circular Economy.