Veolia deploys innovative electricity flexibility solution at waste recovery site

For the first time in France, Veolia is providing an electricity reserve that can be mobilized within seconds to stabilize the national grid, if needed. This innovation is being deployed at the Lapouyade Industrial Ecology Hub, operated by Veolia in Gironde.

Since 2015, this site has been converting local non-recyclable waste into biogas, injecting 45,000 MWh/year of electricity into the grid (equivalent to the consumption of over 20,000 residents) and producing 38,000 MWh/year of heat for local producers’ greenhouses.

In the event of an imbalance between production and consumption on the national grid, Lapouyade can temporarily adjust its output to restore balance and prevent voltage fluctuations or power outages. This flexibility is made possible by a connected box installed on site, developed and deployed by Veolia as part of its Flexcity offering. Acting as a true interface with RTE, it receives real-time signals, translates them into operational instructions, and allows the site to modulate power equivalent to the consumption of around 2,000 households.

In a context of growing electrification of usages (mobility, industry…), such flexibility solutions will be essential to support this transition and ensure grid resilience. Veolia plans to deploy this solution across 25 sites in France in the coming months, further confirming its position as a key player in energy flexibility and a partner of the French electricity system.