Veolia Technology to Help Transform San Francisco Wastewater Into Local, Decarbonized Energy Source

• Veolia’s innovative biogas upgrading technology will help transform San Francisco's largest wastewater facility into a renewable energy producer.
• State-of-the-art MemGas™ membrane technology will convert biogas into pipeline-quality renewable natural gas, providing 100% beneficial use of the biogas generated at the Southeast Treatment Plant and at full capacity, will produce enough renewable energy to offset the natural gas needs equivalent to approximately 3,800 homes (68 GWh/yr).
• The project demonstrates the circular economy in action, supporting San Francisco's decarbonization goals while creating a sustainable local energy source.

TREVOSE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Veolia, through its Water Technologies & Solutions business unit, has earned a $34 million contract to supply biogas upgrading technology for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s (SFPUC) Southeast Treatment Plant. Built in 1952, this crucial facility is undergoing a $3 billion modernization that will transform it from a traditional wastewater treatment plant into a state-of-the-art resource recovery center, converting wastewater byproducts into renewable, decarbonized energy for local communities.

Veolia, the world leader in water technologies, will implement its innovative MemGas™ system to purify raw biogas from the plant’s anaerobic digestion process to biomethane, a pipeline-quality renewable natural gas ready for injection into Pacific Gas & Electric's grid. The project will provide 100% beneficial use of the biogas generated at the Southeast Treatment Plant and at full capacity, will produce enough renewable energy to offset the natural gas needs equivalent to approximately 3,800 homes (68 GWh/yr). The system is expected to be operational by June 2027.

Daniela Brandao, Senior Project Manager, SFPUC, shared: “This project fulfills our commitments for beneficial use of the biogas generated at the Southeast Treatment Plant, supports California’s state goals for in-state production and distribution of renewable natural gas, and aligns with the City’s sustainability objectives. We are excited to see the positive impact this project will have on our community and the environment!“

“This transformative project showcases how cities can create truly circular systems that not only meet performance criteria but generate clean, renewable energy from what was once considered waste,” said Anne Le Guennec, Senior Executive Vice President for Worldwide Water Technologies at Veolia. “The SFPUC exemplifies environmental leadership by creating a sustainable energy source right in their backyard, setting a powerful example for cities worldwide. This project is a concrete demonstration of our GreenUp strategy in action, perfectly embodying Veolia's ecological transformation objectives through its focus on decarbonization and circular solutions. By converting waste into renewable energy, we're showing how our innovative technologies can drive the ecological transformation for a sustainable future.”

The Southeast Treatment Plant processes approximately 80% of the city’s combined stormwater and wastewater, treating an average dry weather flow of 45 million gallons (170,300 cubic meters) of wastewater daily. This upgrade will capture the biogas produced during wastewater treatment and upgrade it through state-of-the-art gas conditioning and separation processes.

This project represents a significant advancement in sustainable infrastructure. The initiative will create a renewable energy source while reducing greenhouse gas emissions of 31,000 metric tons CO₂e/yr, demonstrating how environmental protection and operational performance can go hand in hand.

Veolia technology feature   MemGas™ technology employs a sophisticated three-stage membrane separation process to transform biogas into high-quality biomethane. The system first pre-treats the biogas to remove unwanted components like hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), then compresses it before passing it through high-pressure gas separation membranes arranged in cylindrical cartridges.   This proven technology achieves exceptional purification efficiency with over 99% methane yield, while maintaining low energy consumption of 0.3 to 0.4 kWh per cubic meter of raw biogas.   The system operates without chemicals or water consumption and can handle flow rates from 30 to 10,000 Nm³/h of raw biogas, making it both environmentally friendly and highly efficient.   Learn more about how MemGas works.

ABOUT VEOLIA

Veolia group aims to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. Present on five continents with 215,000 employees, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical solutions for the management of water, waste and energy that are contributing to a radical turnaround of the current situation. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, to preserve available resources and to renew them. In 2024, the Veolia group provided 111 million inhabitants with drinking water and 98 million with sanitation, produced 42 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 65 million tonnes of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) achieved consolidated revenue of 44.7 billion euros in 2024. www.veolia.com

ABOUT VEOLIA WATER TECHNOLOGIES & SOLUTIONS

As the global water technology experts of Veolia, we deliver on both performance and sustainability without compromise. We provide you with peace of mind knowing your business and communities are safeguarded, efficient and resilient. Together we protect, preserve and reuse resources, tackling today’s environmental challenges while creating the water treatment and process solutions of tomorrow. www.watertechnologies.com