TotalEnergies and Veolia have signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at expanding their long-term collaboration to accelerate progress in the energy transition and circular economy. The agreement builds on the companies’ shared objectives to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce water consumption, combining their industrial expertise to scale up innovative solutions and tackle future environmental challenges.
Under the deal, Veolia will leverage its experience in water resource management and resource recovery, while TotalEnergies will contribute its know-how in methane emission reduction and low-carbon energy production and supply. Together, the two companies aim to deliver practical solutions across several key areas.
Cutting methane emissions from landfills
Veolia is exploring the deployment of TotalEnergies’ AUSEA technology, which uses drones to measure methane emissions, across its landfill sites. Initial trials have shown the system can deliver reliable, repeatable measurements, detect leaks, and pinpoint the most emission-heavy areas. The technology will add a powerful new tool to Veolia’s existing capabilities in emission reduction.
This initiative aligns with Veolia’s target of capturing 80% of methane emissions from landfills by 2032 and demonstrates the potential of the technology beyond its traditional use in the oil and gas sector.
Reducing water use in the industry
The partnership will also support TotalEnergies in meeting its goal of cutting freshwater withdrawals by 20% by 2030, compared to 2021 levels, at sites in water-stressed regions while improving discharge quality.
Following a recent agreement with SATORP, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies, the companies plan to collaborate on wastewater reuse projects. These include reusing municipal wastewater for industrial processes and deploying Veolia’s technologies to improve water treatment.
Decarbonising desalination
TotalEnergies will work with Veolia to speed up the introduction of low-carbon energy solutions at desalination facilities that the French water and waste group builds or operates. The companies have already partnered on the largest solar power plant for a seawater desalination site in Oman.
This collaboration supports Veolia’s aim to double its desalination capacity by 2030 while continuing to reduce the energy demands of the process, which already uses ten times less energy than previous technologies.
Recovering critical resources from waste
The companies will also combine their research and development capabilities to industrialise processes for recovering valuable chemical elements from under-utilised waste streams. These include rare earth elements found in permanent magnets used in wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, and batteries, essential components for renewable energy technologies.
Estelle Brachlianoff, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia, said: “I am very pleased with the agreement signed today with TotalEnergies: 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.”
Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, added: “We are delighted with this partnership with Veolia. TotalEnergies has cutting-edge solutions and technologies to offer Veolia and vice versa. 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.”
The partnership builds on years of collaboration between the two companies and reflects their growing commitment to scaling up sustainable industrial practices. As global industries face increasing pressure to reduce emissions and resource consumption, such cross-sector collaborations are becoming key to achieving climate and sustainability targets.
