Xavier Girre, CEO of SUEZ

At Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP), SUEZ serves over 100 petrochemical companies, supporting SCIP to become the top chemical industrial park in China and a global model of ecological protection and the circular economy. Photos on this page : Courtesy of SUEZ

SUEZ, as a key member of the French business delegation accompanying President Emmanuel Macron during his state visit to China, has signed two agreements with local partners from the provinces of Jiangsu and Shandong, emphasizing its will to develop in this country. 

These two partnerships focus on deepening collaboration in water and waste management with the aim of contributing to China's ecological transition.

"I'm delighted to be part of President Macron's business delegation and have signed these agreements with partners from Jiangsu and Shandong. These partnerships underline our commitment to deepening local partnerships and accelerate innovation to support ecological transition. We firmly believe that by collaborating closely with our partners, we can leverage our combined strengths to make a lasting impact on our environment," Xavier Girre, CEO of SUEZ, noted. 

As one of the first international environmental companies to operate in China, SUEZ has aligned its growth with the country's evolving environmental priorities since the 1970s. Its portfolio has expanded from infrastructure to water operations, waste recycling and recovery, industrial park services, seawater desalination and digital environmental solutions.

With municipal partners, SUEZ has upgraded essential infrastructure, improved service quality, and supported cities' green transition. For example, in Macao, its smart water operation has become a benchmark for the Chinese water industry. It's also recognized as the "Most Inspiring Climate Smart Project." In Chongqing, SUEZ's cooperation with local partners has become a successful China-foreign PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model in China's water industry, and its strategic partnership with Chongqing Sanfeng Environment drives innovation in the global energy-from-waste sector.

In Shanghai and Chengdu, SUEZ's sludge treatment projects ensure safe treatment and disposal, while reducing external energy use through process innovation. This includes recovering steam from sludge incineration for reuse in pre-drying, improving overall energy recovery. 

In Dongguan, a sludge-to-energy facility under construction is expected to generate about 96 million kWh of electricity annually at full capacity - enough to power roughly 400,000 households for a month.

In industry, SUEZ addresses diverse environmental challenges with tailored solutions. For the Wanhua Chemical Group, a seawater-desalination project addressed local freshwater constraints and reduced energy consumption per cubic meter by around 25 percent versus the initial design. In Dalian, SUEZ's wastewater treatment solution protects ecosystems near a national nature reserve. The project received the Special Climate Prize in Innovation. 

Over the past two decades, industrial parks have become major engines of growth in China. SUEZ provides integrated water and waste services to over 20 industrial parks across China. The partnership with Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) exemplifies this long-term commitment, where SUEZ serves over 100 petrochemical companies and operates R&D centers focused on water, wastewater and hazardous-waste treatment, supporting SCIP to become the top chemical industrial park in China and a global model of ecological protection and the circular economy. 

These partnerships not only address current environmental challenges but also pave the way for resilient development models. As Xavier Girre emphasized, "The next generation 'in situ' laboratory we are building with SCIP is illustrating that resilience will not only come through technological innovation, but also through the ability to build circular, consistent and competitive value chains, including water and waste management."

SUEZ is the only multinational company to have been awarded the "Top 10 Most Influential Water Companies in China" for over 20 consecutive years. For five decades, the group has supported China's ecological transition with local partners.

"We remain committed to China for the long term. We have long-term partnerships with municipal and industrial clients in more than 30 major cities and regions across China," said Xavier Girre. 

The group recently also secured new water and waste contracts in Sichuan, Anhui, Shandong, Jiangsu and Chongqing, drawing on its strengths in infrastructure, water operations, and waste recycling and recovery. These contracts demonstrate continued investment in China's environmental sector.

"Looking ahead, SUEZ will continue to 'think global, act local,' and keep building the future, innovating on key breakthroughs such as PFAS treatment or carbon capture, and embedding sustainable development at the heart of SUEZ's value proposition," Xavier Girre added.