The contract has been awarded to a consortium comprising OTV France Ouest (consortium leader), Eiffage and Demathieu & Bard for civil engineering, and Le Priol, a firm of architects in Rennes. Its estimated total value is €29 million Euros, of which €13.7 million Euros is for Veolia Water.

The new plant will have the capacity to treat wastewater for a population of around 180,000 inhabitants, with a peak flow of 3,700m3/hour. It will come into service at the beginning of 2011.

The technological solutions proposed by OTV France Ouest for effluent treatment (lamellar settling by Multiflo® Duo and biofiltration using Biostyr®) were selected on the basis of their treatment performance. The plant will also be very compact and totally enclosed. Sludge treatment will be by digestion for agricultural recovery. A permanent olfactory monitoring system will be assured by an "electronic nose" (OdoWatch system).

After special treatment including filtration, UV disinfection and chlorination, some of the wastewater will be recycled for on-site use and for supplying the nearby municipal bus washing station.

The biogas produced by the plant will provide heating for the technical facilities and supply a cogeneration unit. This unit, together with over 800m2 of flexible solar panels installed over the treatment tanks, will produce electricity that will be sold to French power utility EDF.

A second series of 25m2 of conventional solar panels, installed on the roof of the operations building, will supply the energy necessary for a heat pump to provide zero carbon heating for that building. This arrangement will make the plant self-sufficient in terms of energy for lighting and heating.

The architecture of the premises will be of a bioclimatic type, combining mineral and plant elements, with the creation of vertical gardens inside the buildings.

Finally, the new plant will need only one-third of the present surface area even though its treatment capacity will be almost doubled. The new available space will be converted into a park and will open the way for the area's redevelopment.

Commenting on the contract, Antoine Frérot, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia Water said,

"this project which Nantes Metropole (the Nantes urban authority) has entrusted to Veolia Water is listed on a high environmental level and illustrates our expertise as a specialist in the sustainable development of water in cities. Its design and operation will be economic and respectful of the environment, and will incorporate our most advanced technologies in terms of treating and recycling wastewater, and energy recovery."

Veolia Water, the water division of Veolia Environnement, is the world leader in water and wastewater services. Specialized in outsourcing services for municipal authorities, as well as industrial and service companies, it is also one of the world's major designers of technological solutions and constructor of facilities needed in water and wastewater services. Veolia Water serves 108 million people worldwide. With 77,800 employees, its 2006 revenues amounted to €10,1 billion. Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies (VWS) is the technology subsidiary of Veolia Water. The company specializes in the engineering, design and construction of turnkey facilities, and creates technological solutions that are integral to these units.

Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE and NYSE: VE) is world leader in environmental services. With more than 300,000 employees the company has operations all around the world and provides tailored solutions to meet the needs of municipal and industrial customers in four complementary segments: water management, waste management, energy management and freight and passenger transportation. Veolia Environnement recorded revenue of €28.6 billion in 2006. www.veolia.com

Veolia Water

Caroline Clopet
Tel : + 33 (0) 1 49 24 32 74
caroline.clopet@veoliaeau.fr

Veolia Environnement

Marie-Claire Camus
Tél. : + 33 (0) 1 71 75 06 08
marie-claire.camus@veolia.com