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Home / Information / Scientific Chronicles

Scientific Chronicles

Veolia Environnement Research & Development publishes Scientific Chronicles quarterly, to provide some answers concerning the company’s major technological challenges. The information is delivered via two platforms: an educational video featuring a Veolia expert produced in cooperation with Marie-Odile Monchicourt, science reporter for France-Info, and a downloadable magazine that delves more deeply into the topic through interviews and specialized articles.

 

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How can we limit greenhouse gases?

The figure for Veolia Environnement’s greenhouse gas emissions is 39.5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, or 0.1% of global emissions. The number is large enough to prompt us to dedicate more than 70% of our research programs to fighting climate change. Our programs focus on improving process energy efficiency, making renewable energy sources usable and finding applications for some greenhouse gases.

Browse the “How can we limit greenhouse gases?” report

High-performance water treatment processes

Veolia Environnement has just opened a test hall in Annet-sur-Marne, France to test and optimize membrane processes for drinking water production. This research addresses three customer demands: compliance with health standards, lowering the water content of organic matter (boosting quality and saving money) and offering end customers “good-tasting” tap water.

Browse the “High-performance water treatment processes” report

Life cycle analysis

Life cycle analysis is a method for assessing and quantifying the full environmental impact of a product or activity. LCA can assess the effects associated with the deployment of a regulation, strategy, production process or technology. Employed in most research programs, life cycle analysis helps Veolia’s operational employees make decisions.

Browse the “Life cycle analysis” report

Treatment of industrial effluents

Industrial operators strive to treat their effluents as economically and environmentally as they can. Veolia supports them in their environmental process and their attempts to achieve compliance, performance, reliability and safety. The technological innovations introduced by Veolia Environnement’s Water Research Center are decisive in optimizing treatment of the multiple, complex effluents generated by industry.

Browse the “Treatment of industrial effluents” report

Water taste and odor

Water is savored like wine, as the new water bars opening up show. Yet saying that tap water has a taste or smell means that it has a bad taste or odor—people don’t want to drink it and even fear for their health. Why? Ever since Veolia researchers first asked themselves that question five years ago, they have been hot on the trail of odiferous compounds, so that they can neutralize them and make water pleasant-tasting again.

Browse the “Water taste and odor” report

Environmental health

According to WHO, environmental health encompasses all aspects of human health that are affected by physical, chemical, biological, social and psychosocial factors in the environment. Faced with the global challenge of demographic growth, deteriorating natural environments and overconsumption of natural resources, Veolia Environnement is focusing our research and our various businesses on the task of improving the living conditions of populations.

Browse the “Environmental health” report

Clean buses

Many buses in Veolia Environnement’s fleet have been modified to reduce their polluting emissions to a level even lower than the one mandated by European standards. The goal is to make bus mass transit, which does less harm to the environmental than personal cars, “cleaner.” Our research teams are also working on studying new fuels and new, more environmentally efficient energies.

Browse the “Clean buses” report

Process modeling

Modeling applies to many fields since it can be used to “virtually” repeat experiments as often as desired. Veolia research develops tools for modeling the processes related to our various businesses, as in the case here of modeling fluid flows in civil engineering works. Process modeling enhances the ability of our water, energy and environmental management businesses to innovate, predict performance and cut operating costs.

Browse the “Modeling” report

Water quality management

As world population grows and needs soar, water is one of our core future challenges. Water resources must be managed both qualitatively, by fighting pollution, and quantitatively, by means of alternative solutions such as desalination and wastewater recycling. Using a lake and an artificial river, our researchers are studying nature’s self-purification capacities, to devise new solutions.

Browse the “Water quality management” report

Seawater desalination

Some 72% of the earth’s total surface is covered with water, but 97% of it is saltwater. Seawater desalination allows us to expand available freshwater resources, provide a solution during drought periods and deal with shortages and crises. The current desalination process is very expensive because it requires a lot of energy. Veolia Environnement’s challenge is to improve desalination’s environmental balance sheet.

Browse the “Seawater desalination” report

Bioreactors: waste as a bioenergy source

What if waste became a source of renewable energy? That is the challenge taken up by Veolia Environnement, a leader in environmental services. Bioreactors work by accelerating the breakdown of waste in landfills. This makes it possible to produce more biogas, a source of energy, stabilize waste, reduce the maintenance of decommissioned sites and rehabilitate mothballed facilities, all in a shorter period of time.

Browse the “Bioreactors” report

Fuel cells

How can we conserve natural resources? One likely answer is fuel cells. The process involves injecting oxygen and hydrogen, in the form of gas, into separate channels and bringing them into contact with an electrolyte. The resulting electrochemical reactions produce heat and power. Dalkia, a Veolia Environnement subsidiary, is interested in this high-yield source of energy and aims to make its use a reality.

Browse the “Fuel cells” report