Saudi Arabia: Veolia Signs Three Strategic Agreements To Accelerate the Kingdom’s Environmental Security
- Veolia announced the signing of three strategic memorandums of understanding in water technologies and hazardous waste management.
- These agreements address major challenges for the Kingdom: preservation of water resources, energy efficiency, decarbonization of industry, and development of local skills.
- Established with three leading economic and industrial players in Saudi Arabia, these partnerships strengthen Veolia’s longstanding commitment in the country and its contribution to the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030, aligning with the objectives of its strategic GreenUp program.
The world leader in environmental services, announces the signing of three ambitious memorandums of understanding with three major players in the Kingdom’s industrial development:
- Acwa, a world-leading private water desalination company.
- Ma’aden, a major player in the Saudi mining industry.
- Khazeen, a subsidiary of GASCO, specializing in LPG storage.
These three strategic agreements establish a framework for enhanced cooperation across water technologies and hazardous waste treatment. They align fully with key Saudi Vision 2030 objectives regarding resource preservation, advancing the circular economy, and decarbonization. They also aim to strengthen the development of local capabilities and expertise in environmental services.
“Environmental security has become an essential condition for the sovereignty, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy of territories. In Saudi Arabia, this involves the ability to preserve every drop of water, decarbonize industrial development, and turn waste into resources. Through these agreements, and thanks to our cutting-edge technologies and solutions, we are taking action on a large scale to turn challenges into concrete and effective solutions, in line with Saudi Vision 2030. Our innovations and expertise are only effective when they find concrete applications in response to a territory’s challenges and in support of its essential infrastructures,” says Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia.
Optimizing the Desalination Value Chain with Acwa
The memorandum of understanding signed with Acwa, a world-leading private water desalination company, a leader in the energy transition, and a first mover into green hydrogen at scale, aims to improve the performance of seawater desalination plants design: energy efficiency, optimization of the use of chemical solutions, improvement of water quality, and the deployment of best technical, digital, and operational practices. Veolia and Acwa, world leaders in desalination, intend to amplify their previous co-performance achievements recorded at several of the region’s desalination plants, the most efficient in the world. The collaboration will positively impact Acwa’s existing and future projects, whose current capacity is 9.7 million m3 per day (equivalent to 3,900 Olympic swimming pools per day). The potential emissions reduction from this collaboration could reach 500,000 tons of CO₂ per year, equivalent to the annual emissions of around 110,000 conventional cars, while also lowering operating costs and strengthening the water security of the regions concerned.
Rethinking the Mining Industry’s Supply Chain with Ma’aden
The memorandum of understanding signed with Ma’aden, a major player in the development of Saudi Arabia’s mining industry, focuses on water cycle and industrial waste management in this highly strategic sector for the Kingdom’s economic diversification. Veolia’s cutting-edge water technologies, as the world leader in the field, will significantly optimize processes, particularly through the treatment and reuse of industrial water. In the area of waste, beyond expert treatment and thanks to Veolia’s innovative solutions, the agreement will explore possibilities for source reduction, recovery, and valorization of materials in order to create new circular economy loops.
Decarbonizing the Strategic Infrastructures of Khazeen Group
Signed with Khazeen, a subsidiary of the National Gas and Industrialization Company, GASCO, specialized in liquefied petroleum gas storage, the agreement notably involves deploying environmental technologies to support the decarbonization objectives of the regional industry leader. The company’s storage infrastructures, located throughout the country, will benefit from Veolia’s solutions for industrial water treatment and hazardous waste management. The agreement also provides for developing an integrated Facility Management offer for water, energy, and waste management for Khazeen’s clients.
Veolia, the Trusted Partner of the Kingdom for Over 50 years
In the face of water resource scarcity, accelerating climate change, and growing industrial needs, the ability to secure essential resources while minimizing the impact of activities is a strategic challenge for the Kingdom. Present in Saudi Arabia since 1975, Veolia supports the development of essential infrastructure through its combined solutions and expertise in water, waste, and energy. For decades, the Group has notably worked in Jubail, the world’s largest industrial complex, to treat industrial wastewater from major petrochemical companies. Regarding industrial water reuse, hazardous waste management, and energy efficiency, Veolia is committed to helping build the Kingdom’s environmental security, benefiting its competitiveness and communities.
