TotalEnergies and Veolia Expand Partnership on Energy Transition and Water

Energy company TotalEnergies and environmental services firm Veolia signed a new memorandum of understanding to broaden their collaboration across the energy transition and circular economy, building on a 2022 biomethane agreement. The partnership targets joint initiatives in methane emission detection, industrial water reuse, and renewable energy for desalination.

Key joint initiatives under the expanded partnership include the potential rollout of TotalEnergies' AUSEA drone system to detect and measure methane leaks at Veolia-operated landfills, supporting Veolia's objective of capturing 80% of landfill methane by 2032. The partnership also targets a 20% reduction in TotalEnergies' freshwater use by 2030 at facilities in high-stress water areas compared to 2021 levels, to be achieved through wastewater reuse technologies and system optimization. TotalEnergies will also support the powering of Veolia desalination plants with renewable energy.

The collaboration combines complementary expertise: Veolia brings capabilities in water and waste management and biogas production, while TotalEnergies contributes its low-carbon energy infrastructure and methane emissions reduction expertise. Building on their joint solar-powered desalination project in Oman — described as the largest of its kind — the companies plan to expand the model to additional facilities, as Veolia targets doubling its desalination capacity this decade while reducing its energy footprint. The Oman project demonstrates the commercial viability of the approach at scale.

The renewed agreement extends a 2022 arrangement in which the two companies agreed to produce biomethane from Veolia waste and water treatment facilities operating in more than 15 countries. Under the broadened MOU, the partners will also pool research efforts to extract rare earth elements from underutilized waste streams, adding a circular economy dimension to the relationship. Water stress and industrial decarbonization are increasingly interlinked sustainability challenges for energy-intensive industries, and the TotalEnergies-Veolia model may provide a template for similar partnerships in water-scarce regions including parts of India.

Key figure — 80% landfill methane capture target by Veolia by 2032