A 170-year
history
1853
Creation of Compagnie Générale des Eaux (ancestor of Veolia) by decree signed by Napoleon III.
1867
First contract to clean the streets from mud and waste and transform them into fertilizer, in Nantes.
1880
First international business expansion: Venice for water production and distribution. Constantinople in 1882 and Porto in 1883 followed.
1937
Creation of Chauffage Service by Léon Dewailly, specialized in the operation of heating and air conditioning systems.
1964
Water framework law, allowing the creation of water agencies and introducing the concept of "polluter pays", passed in France before being adopted in Europe and beyond.
1967
First incineration plants of the group.
1970-71
Creation of the first environmental ministries in Great Britain and France.
1973
First oil shock: Compagnie Générale de Chauffe, a subsidiary of the group, innovates by developing its first geothermal projects and energy recovery.
1975
Creation of Sharp Industries to treat hazardous waste.
1992
First contract of the group in New Orleans to operate the city's sanitation system.
1995
Contract with the city of Westminster, United Kingdom, to ensure cleanliness during events.
1997
Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
2000
Prague contract, beginning of expansion in Eastern European countries.
2002
International acceleration of Veolia:
→ Opening of the wastewater reuse plant in Windhoek, Namibia, financed by Veolia.
→ Creation of Enova, a subsidiary dedicated to energy efficiency, in the Middle East.
→ First contract in China to ensure water safety for the region and major events in Shanghai.
2006
First operation of treated wastewater reuse in France, in Sainte-Maxime.
2022
Acquisition of the main international activities of Suez.
2022
Historic drought in France, start of the Jourdain program in Vendée with Vendée Eau, aiming to recycle wastewater to make it drinkable
2022
Inauguration of the heat highway in Lille, which heats homes by valorizing their waste while closing a coal-fired power plant.
2023
Construction of the first recycling plant for electric vehicle batteries in Moselle.
2023
Contract in Abu Dhabi for the operation of one of the largest desalination plants in the world, at the forefront of energy efficiency.
