Veolia to upgrade French water production plant

Veolia subsidiary OTV has been awarded a €64.5m contract from the Nantes Métropole local government to upgrade the La Roche water production plant in France.

The La Roche plant is located on a 12ha site on the outskirts of Nantes in western France. It serves close to 600,000 people. Upgrading the plant is a strategic necessity for the 24 districts making up Nantes Métropole.

A consortium has been set up to carry out the work, bringing together partners in civil engineering and subcontractors specialising in pumping and pipe installations. OTV will take charge of the design and construction of the structures and supply the treatment process equipment.

From studies, design and construction through to commissioning, the project will last six years. The plant is expected to remain operational for the next 50 years.

As part of the upgrade, two Veolia technologies, Actiflo and Actiflo Carb will used at the plant to produce 160 million litres of water a day.

From 2017, water distribution will be dealt with by the new facility while final commissioning of the plant is planned for the second half of 2019.

Veolia global enterprises director Jean-Michel Herrewyn said that the contract is recognition of Veolia’s expertise in the design and construction of plants that are exceptional in their size and the technical complexity of the processes implemented.

"The challenge of this large-scale operation is to put in place a new, more effective water treatment process that will comply with the latest European regulations. It also offers the opportunity to improve the plant’s environment and make it more ergonomic and efficient," Herrewyn added.