Our research and expertise centers

We’re faced with the rising scarcity of resources and the increase in demand for drinking water, so SUEZ is developing technologies to create alternative resources. The production of drinking water, the artificial aquifer recharge, the water recycling and the desalination of seawater and brackish water all part and parcel to this plan.

From the production of drinking water to the treatment of water for industrial use, we develop and implement a broad range of expert know-how and technologies, including simple treatments (sedimentation, filtration, etc.) and more advanced processes (disinfection by ozone or UV rays, advanced membrane-based processes, such as reverse osmosis).

The effective management of the distribution networks located downstream of the drinking water production plants allows water to be delivered to the consumer’s tap, with increased quality and quantity. SUEZ achieves this by developing and applying a broad range of expertise, from leak management, to the real-time control of distribution networks and the assessing the condition of the pipes.

This specific expertise and our corresponding technology are applied to treat urban and industrial wastewater, in order to limit its impact on the environment. This more advanced process is designed to eliminate micro-pollutants and other emerging pollutants. We’ve also developed an innovative technology to make use of the resources contained in wastewater (the energy in sludge or nitrogen and phosphorous, which can be used as fertilizer).

The purpose of storm water management is to minimize the impact of periods of heavy rain on inhabitants and the environment, by limiting flooding, minimizing the discharge of untreated water directly into the environment and avoiding the saturation of water treatment stations. We’ve developed not only the skills required to design the urban drainage infrastructure, but also the tools that monitor water networks in real-time.

We possess comprehensive analytical skills that are required to measure the quality of drinking water, wastewater, industrial water, waste and the receiving water. SUEZ has all the skills and the most advanced equipment to measure physical-chemical (temperature, pH, hardness, etc.) or biochemical parameters (concentration of micro-organisms). We can create data models to produce a more global view, to develop strategies to better assess risks to health and to the environment and then minimize them.

In a world where resources are becoming increasingly scarce, the recycling and reuse of waste are more necessary than ever before.

Recycling recovers the secondary raw materials in waste, which can then be returned to the industrial manufacturing process. We’ve developed methods to characterize waste, and an innovative recovery processes for plastics.

SUEZ possesses a broad range of technologies to recover the energy contained in organic waste, from incineration, which produces heat and electricity, to methanation (anaerobic digestion), which produces biogas that can be used immediately or purified and then injected into the main public gas distribution networks.

Some industries such as oil and gas or agri-foods consume vast amounts of water and can create highly polluted wastewater. SUEZ helps the operators in these sectors to reduce their consumption and pollution and to reach "zero liquid discharge." It achieves this goal by developing advanced processes called membrane-based technologies and ozone to eliminate the most resistant pollutants, characterized by a so-called “hard” COD (chemical oxygen demand).

Looking beyond the technical aspects, the distribution of water and sanitation also impact non-technological issues related to the social and economic aspects of the water management cycle. The experts at SUEZ address numerous subjects, ranging from water demand forecasts to the analysis of the socio-economic and environmental impacts of water supply systems and the assessment of consumer behaviour.

The CIRSEE is SUEZ’s main competences center. It plays a leading role in the coordination of the Group’s international technical and scientific network. Its mission is to identify and develop the scientific, technical and technological skills necessary to underpin the operational excellence of our performance and develop new services for our customers.

Located on the Bordeaux University campus since 2011, the Le Lyre center initiates, supports and coordinates research projects involving universities, businesses and public or private institutions.

 

As the interface between a major organization and local players, the Le Lyre center connects the operatives in the water sector to the researchers and identifies the right partners to propose innovative solutions to solve local issues and to provide answers to the questions raised by operators and local government. The Le Lyre center is organized into four fields of research and expertise: Network / Environment / Players and users / Data. This multidisciplinarity approach, is in the very genes of Le Lyre, enables the center to offer concrete solutions to its customers.

The Haasrode Technology Center of Excellence provides advanced analytical, engineering and application services to our customers in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

 

State-of-the-art analytical instruments allow the analytical laboratory to process samples from cooling, boiler, wastewater, hydrocarbon and chemical treatment applications. Analysis methods for more than 300 different parameters are available.

 

The multidisciplinary technology team has extensive expertise in analytical chemistry, microbiology, metallurgy and chemical engineering sciences. It conducts root cause analyses in close collaboration with various stakeholders.

The Technology Center is working in collaboration with the Oakville Technology Center to develop ultrafiltration membranes and membranes products for wastewater. Experts characterize the membranes, "autopsy" them, and thanks to mechanical tests, they simulate their ageing.