French firm signs three Saudi MoUs to advance water efficiency, waste management and decarbonisation

 

French firm signs agreements with three Saudi companies 

French environmental services company Veolia has signed three strategic memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power, Ma’aden and Khazeen to accelerate water efficiency, hazardous waste management and industrial decarbonisation across the Kingdom.

The agreements are aligned with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, supporting the development of circular economy initiatives, environmental infrastructure and local capabilities in water, waste and energy management.

The three partnerships target key sectors of the Saudi economy, including desalination, mining and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage, as the Kingdom continues to expand its industrial base while pursuing greater resource efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Boosting desalination efficiency with ACWA Power

Under its agreement with ACWA Power, Veolia will work to improve the performance of seawater desalination facilities through measures aimed at increasing energy efficiency, optimising chemical use, enhancing water quality and deploying advanced digital and operational technologies.

 

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The collaboration builds on previous projects between the two companies and is expected to support ACWA Power’s existing and future desalination portfolio. The company currently has desalination production capacity of approximately 9.7 million cubic metres of water per day.

Veolia estimates that the collaboration could help reduce carbon emissions by as much as 500,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, while also lowering operating costs and contributing to greater regional water security.

Advancing circularity in mining with Ma’aden

Veolia’s agreement with Saudi mining company Ma’aden will focus on improving water management and industrial waste treatment across mining operations.

The two companies will explore opportunities to increase the reuse of industrial water, reduce waste generation and recover valuable materials from industrial processes. The initiative is designed to create new opportunities for resource recovery and strengthen circular economy practices within the mining sector.

The partnership comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to expand mining and minerals as a major contributor to economic diversification under Vision 2030.

Targeting decarbonisation across LPG infrastructure

The third MoU was signed with Khazeen, a subsidiary of the National Gas and Industrialization Company (GASCO), and focuses on applying environmental technologies across Khazeen’s LPG storage infrastructure.

The agreement covers industrial water treatment, hazardous waste management and integrated facility management services encompassing water, energy and waste.

The collaboration is intended to provide Khazeen and its customers with solutions aimed at improving resource efficiency while reducing the environmental impact of LPG-related infrastructure.

Veolia expands Saudi environmental partnerships

Veolia CEO Estelle Brachlianoff said environmental infrastructure is becoming increasingly important to economic competitiveness and national strategic priorities.

 

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“Environmental security has become an essential condition for the sovereignty, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy of territories,” Brachlianoff said. “In Saudi Arabia, this involves the ability to preserve every drop of water, decarbonise industrial development, and turn waste into resources.”

She added that the agreements would allow Veolia to deploy its technologies and solutions at scale in support of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 ambitions.

Veolia has operated in Saudi Arabia since 1975, providing services spanning water, waste and energy management. The company has also supported industrial wastewater treatment at Jubail, one of the world’s largest industrial complexes, and continues to participate in projects focused on industrial water reuse, hazardous waste treatment and energy efficiency.

The latest agreements further expand Veolia’s role in Saudi Arabia’s drive to strengthen environmental infrastructure while supporting industrial growth, resource conservation and the transition toward a more circular and lower-carbon economy.

Source: Gulf Business