Innovation

This innovation was a result of the company’s’ realisation that their processes were lacking longevity and sustainability and so as an attempt to improve these factors the CHP engine was installed. With Veolia heading towards being a massive industry leader, inspiration came from a similar site with a Thermal Hydrolysis Plant already in place. With the potential benefits clearly seen through their potential customer, Veolia installed the innovation to increase productivity and better the quality of existing outputs.

The innovation emerged as a result of Veolia looking for sustainable and innovative improvements to the existing Waste Water Treatment works. Veolia’s ethos is about driving the circular economy and there was a chance to create a circular economy product from something seen as waste. Thermal Hydrolysis is a relatively emerging technology in the UK Water market and Veolia saw this as chance to stay at the forefront of service providers.

The process of installing the THP (Thermal Hydrolysis Plant) was time consuming and costly. Over the course of a 2.5-year period, staff from different departments and at different stages in Veolia’s hierarchical structure put their heads together to make things work. The processes of implementation are as illustrated below, by Interviewee Lisa McKenzie.

Investigation → Capital Delivery Engineers → Water Management Investment Committee → UK wide Investment Committee → Central Management Team → Operational Team → Project Given to contractor following bids

Further to this process numerous departments and employees were involved, including, unit controllers, electricians, mechanics, operators, odour technicians and shift staff. So, “the team was huge” but all worked in cohesiveness to ensure they were deploying the Thermal Hydrolysis engine in a satisfactory and sustainable way.

Inspiration

“it wasn’t new, but it wasn’t well used”

When introduced at Veolia, Thermal Hydrolysis was not a brand-new innovation however it was not a well-used or effective process either. Veolia were able to fine-tune the process in order to maximize its efficiency.

Every year Veolia get a budget from Scottish Water (the National Water Company). This budget must cover running costs and allow for the introduction of innovations that improve the sites they manage as a whole. This inspires Veolia to embrace new innovations, such as the thermal hydrolysis process.

When asked, the interviewee explained that the inspiration and motivation behind Veolia’s innovation was primarily to create a renewable energy source. It was found that there is a strong belief that by doing this, it will allow Veolia to contribute to creation of a circular economy. This fits with Veolia’s aim to become 100% energy self-sufficient at Seafield as well as promoting sustainable and clean energy. Contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goal number 7, affordable and clean energy, is what Veolia pride themselves in pursuing.

“it’s all about a circular economy, that is our strapline, that is our ethos, that is the day to day … what we do at Veolia.”

Creating this circular economy is particularly important to Veolia, as their main aim as a company is to introduce their ‘renewable values’ into the business and create a sustainable and upcycled flow of materials.

Overall impact

By integrating a Thermal Hydrolysis Plant into their processes, Veolia is continuing to have a prominent positive impact on all areas, from business to society and environment. The organisation aims for a “constant process of trying to improve the site” in order to send a “powerful message” about the benefits to the wider community and similar businesses. In doing this, Veolia is leading the way to transforming the current linear economy into that of a circular one.

Not only has their self-sufficiency led to £1.5m - £2m worth of savings and re-investments, the new process now also generates “thirty thousand tons of extra fertiliser” available to be utilised by local farmers, helping boost immediate communities. In addition to this, the implementation of the innovation has led to advancement in a wealth of knowledge for existing employees. In the continuous pursuit of addressing the need for “green energy” Veolia offers training on each new component of their process, including the contemporary boiler installed, as a method of building employee experience in all aspects of production. This offers, not only a positive impact for staff, but also allows the organisation to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible.

These current impacts are extremely important to Veolia, however, the organisation also focuses on the preservation of their business, societal and environmental impacts. The organisations “biggest thing” is to “sustain self-sufficiency” and continue to “take a load off the grid” therefore, cutting back the pressure on local providers.

“That’s an amazing thing to have done for the local community.”

Business benefit

The implementation of Veolia’s Thermal Hydrolysis Plant has brought various benefits to the organisation. The innovation has led Veolia’s Edinburgh plant to achieve near full electrical self-sufficiency. This has now led to the organisation generating copious amounts of capital savings as their electrical bills have been rescinded. The savings made from the innovation now allow repayment of the initial £10-£15 million capital investment made in building the asset. The innovation allows the plant to produce the equivalent energy of four thousand homes being powered every day, enhancing the image of the organisation in the local community, whom Veolia consider to be a key stakeholder.

Social and environmental benefit

Social Benefits

Due to Veolia now achieving electrical self-sufficiency through the thermal hydrolysis plant, they have been able to significantly reduce their electric bill, this is the equivalent of powering around 4,000 households per day, through the heat and power generated in sludge treatment. As well as saving energy, Veolia’s provides a social benefit, the benefit is that it takes a huge amount of pressure off of the national power grid and should enable the grid to remain more stable

The innovation also reduces waste and benefits the agricultural community as there is now around thirty thousand tons of ‘sludge cake’ a year. This is used as fertiliser and is now available to local farmers. Farmers benefit as larger commercial farms take nutrients out of the ground and therefore farmers have a requirement to put nutrients back in. This is therefore another example of Veolia delivering social value and helping the environment as the pasteurised sludge has worked as an amazing fertiliser as farmers have advised their fields have seen a huge benefit.

Environmental Benefits

The main business model over the last ten years at Veolia has been based on the circular economy instead of using a linear process. Previously when using a linear process, the world’s producers would mine resources and then use a factory and turn it into a product. However, users would then use the product and eventually bin it and therefore it would end up in a landfill. Now, through circular economy, Veolia looks at materials, energy etc. and looks at how they can turn it into a product that can later be reused instead of going to landfill. One of Veolia’s many focuses as a company is the provision of green energy due to the positive impacts it has on the environment such as minimising emissions of harmful gases through traditional energy production such as fossil fuels.

“it’s green energy, which is great for the environment so that’s something to be proud of”

Interview

Lisa McKenzie, Strategy Manger

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