Veolia (Paris, France; www.veolia.com), through its subsidiary Proactiva Medio Ambiente Mexico S.A. de C.V., has won the public call for tenders published by the government of Mexico City and just signed the contract to design, build and operate the first waste-to-energy facility in Latin America. With a capacity twice that of the largest facility in France, this unit will treat around 1.6 million metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of household waste. The 30-year operation and maintenance contract of this facility will represent an estimated cumulative revenue of 886 million euros for Veolia.
This new waste-to-energy facility will provide an efficient alternative for treating the waste from this city of 10 million people. Each day, it will convert about one-third of the city’s household waste into energy. The 965,000 MWh of electricity produced each year by the plant will be used directly by the Mexico City Subway Metro.
Gustavo Migues, Executive Vice President Latin America at Vesolia, explains: “Today, waste can become a valuable resource. In this instance, Mexico City will favor the treatment of waste and the production of renewable energy. We are delighted to have been selected for this truly significant project, through which we will contribute to improving the quality of life of the citizens of Mexico City and their essential services, while also helping fight climate change.” He adds: “What we are going to do in Mexico City is the demonstration that our expertise in waste management – one of Veolia’s core business – has a bright future ahead of it. The needs in Mexico, and more widely in Latin America, are such that we have a huge potential for development “.
The plant’s construction is due to begin in 2017 and will last 3 years. Operations are scheduled to start in 2020.