Veolia establishes itself as a major player in urban energy in Europe, addressing crucial market challenges such as security of supply, decarbonization, energy efficiency, flexibility and accessibility.
Veolia, leader in urban energy at the heart of the European energy transition
Our unique value proposition is based on high-performance district heating networks innovative energy services for buildings and industry, as well as bioenergy and flexibility solutions. We are committed to transforming the energy landscape of cities, neighborhoods and buildings, placing decarbonization at the center of our actions.
Our key figures
in energy revenue in 2024
in revenue from district heating production
heating networks, serving 7 million customers (9% of connected Europeans)
in district heating and cooling networks in Europe
Our 2030 targets
Coal phase-out in Europe
+€350 M in additional revenue through the Ecothermal Grid offering
Reduction of
-820,000 tCO2 targeted in Poznan, Poland
#1 in district heating in Europe
Securing energy supply through business combination
Synergies across activities
Business combination is a winning strategy to guarantee security of heat supply while maximizing the use of territorial resources. This approach is based on three complementary axes that create synergies between Veolia's different activities to develop urban energy systems that are resilient, efficient, decarbonized and anchored in the territories.
With Waste
Transformation of treatment facilities into heat sources through energy recovery, the production of RDF, biomass and cogeneration.
Example: London, 5,000 homes heated by energy recovery units.
With Water
Production of heat and cold from wastewater treatment plants and sewage networks.
Example: Budapest, supplying hospitals, universities and administrations.
With Local energies
Mobilization of all territorial resources: bioenergy, geothermal, solar thermal, industrial waste heat.
Example: Poznań,recovery of heat from the Volkswagen foundry.
Our 2030 ambitions: charting the path to tomorrow's heating
By 2030,Veolia aims to become the leader in district heating in Europe. We plan to generate 350 million euros in additional revenue through our innovative 'Ecothermal Grid' offering.
Our commitment to decarbonization translates into significant investments: 0.7 billion euros already spent since 2018, and 1.6 billion euros cumulative planned by 2030 on our district heating facilities in Europe. These efforts target massive CO2 reductions particularly in Eastern Europe where the Group is committed to reducing emissions by 2030, by:
-205,000 tCO2 in Braunschweig, Germany,
-170,000 tCO2 in the Czech Republic,
-820,000 tCO2 in Poznan in Poland.
We are operating a progressive transition first from coal to gas and then to renewable and local energies such as biomass, biogaz and CSR, thus charting the path to decarbonized heating of the future.
With nearly 500 heating networks in Europe and an average efficiency of 88% (compared to 75% on average in Europe), Veolia has already contributed to reducing nearly 2 Mt of CO2 between 2021 and 2024.
ECOTHERMAL GRID
Veolia offers a new innovative offering called "Ecothermal Grid" aimed at providing decarbonized district heating for cleaner, smarter and more sustainable cities. This solution combines various energy sources (bioenergy, geothermal, waste heat, heat pumps, electric boilers) with energy storage and intelligent AI-driven control to ensure reliability and flexibility.
Targeted at cities with an average population of 15,000 to 30,000 inhabitants, private players and district heating network operators in priority and complementary markets, this offering targets an addressable market of approximately 4 billion euros with additional revenue of 350 million euros by 2030, while ensuring accessibility, efficiency and security of supply.
Veolia is resolutely committed to transforming the European energy landscape. Our ambition is clear: to become the leader in district heating in Europe by 2030, placing decarbonization at the heart of our actions. With our innovative 'Ecothermal Grid' offering and our massive investments, we are charting the path to tomorrow's heating - local, decarbonized and accessible. Our unique positioning allows us to be THE reference in low-carbon energy production, serving cleaner, smarter and more sustainable cities.
Veolia's energy offerings
We benefit from a unique and differentiating positioning, making our Group THE reference in the production and management of local, low-carbon and affordable energy, and a leader in our market. Veolia offers services tailored to each need, through three offerings:
Innovation for a sustainable energy future
We mobilize all our expertise and our research and innovation capabilities to support ecological transformation, by producing local, decarbonized and reliable energy. We thus exploit all available energy resources, as close as possible to the territories.
Central and Eastern Europe: A model of transformation
Central and Eastern Europe is a privileged field of action for Veolia, where we are among the top three heat suppliers in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, serving 5.7 million inhabitants. Examples such as Poznan, Prerov and Tashkent illustrate our ability to transform urban networks. In Tashkent, network efficiency increased from 53% in 2022 to 62% in 2024.
Poznań: A model of decarbonization in Poland
In Poznań, Poland's fifth largest city, Veolia is taking a decisive step in the energy transition with the commissioning, in February 2025, of a new natural gas cogeneration plant. This facility replaces the old coal-fired units at the Karolin plant and delivers 214 MWt of heat and 114 MWe of electricity, covering more than half of the city's heat needs. With a gross efficiency of 92% and a 35% reduction in CO2 emissions per megawatt produced, this achievement is part of an overall strategy that has already reduced coal consumption by 60% since 1990. Beyond providing cleaner heat to more than 60% of the city's inhabitants, this infrastructure prepares for the future by being compatible with renewable energies such as hydrogen and biomethane, thus charting the path toward the climate neutrality targeted by Poznań in 2050.
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