Veolia Unveils Accelerated Plan for Heating and Cooling Networks in France, Aiming to Cover Nearly 3 Million People

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Veolia has announced an accelerated plan for heating and cooling networks, aimed at helping cities better adapt to climate change by mobilizing local energy sources. This solution leverages collective, energy-efficient, and decarbonized infrastructure, utilizing locally recovered energy such as geothermal energy, urban wastewater, or waste heat from urban and industrial facilities to simultaneously meet the complementary heating and cooling needs of residential buildings, offices, commercial facilities, or public equipment.

As heatwaves intensify, building cooling has shifted from a comfort requirement to a critical task for protecting residents' health, maintaining the operation of essential public services such as schools and hospitals, and ensuring regional economic activity. Veolia's heating and cooling network model has already been implemented in Issy-les-Moulineaux (Hauts-de-Seine) and Paris-Saclay (Essonne). The Issy Green Energy project, which uses heat recovered from wastewater to heat and cool buildings in the Léon Blum development zone, demonstrates that urban cooling can rely on still widely underestimated local energy resources and adapt to the mixed-use nature of neighborhoods. In Paris-Saclay, the new-generation urban heating and cooling network operated by Veolia particularly relies on geothermal energy, waste heat recovery, and the reuse of heat generated during the cooling process.

Jean-François Nogrette, Director of Veolia's Special Waste Business in France and Europe, stated that climate change is evolving faster than infrastructure, but the discussion cannot be limited to "supporting or opposing air conditioning." It is necessary to rethink sustainable approaches to urban cooling, and combined heating and cooling networks can address regional climate, energy, and economic challenges while adapting to new urban uses. The company has identified approximately one hundred local energy recovery projects in France to accelerate the deployment of heating and cooling networks. If conditions related to financing, regulations, and building renovations are met, these projects could serve nearly 3 million people in France.