Veolia to Manage Operations of Saddleback College's Central Cogeneration Plant, Ensuring Plant Performance and Reliability

Veolia North America, a leading operator and developer of efficient energy solutions, announced the award of a 5-year contract with the South Orange County Community College District (District) to provide operation and maintenance (O&M) of its central cogeneration plant at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif. Veolia will also manage several capital improvements at the plant, in addition to providing campus-wide Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) services under a separate agreement. By implementing operational and safety best practices learned from Veolia’s energy operations around the world, Saddleback College will benefit from greater operational efficiencies and plant performance, while meeting stringent environmental requirements and ensuring reliable supply of chilled and hot water and electricity for the campus.

“As a global leader in operating and maintaining complex energy plants, Veolia is an excellent partner for Saddleback College,” said John Ozurovich, director of facilities at Saddleback College. “Our mission is to promote environment sustainability and use our resources responsibly to reduce ecological impact. Through our infrastructure investment in cogeneration technology and now our partnership with Veolia, we will continue to make strides in supporting our mission by efficiently operating our cogeneration plant operations, meeting all emission targets and supplying reliable energy to the campus – safely.”

Following a competitive bid process, Veolia was selected to operate and maintain the central plant, including power generation equipment, the chilled and hot water systems and the high-voltage distribution system. Veolia will also provide 24/7 remote monitoring and emergency response.

The efficient natural gas-fired cogeneration plant recycles the heat from its power generation process into useful thermal energy to heat and cool water distributed throughout the campus. With an electrical capacity of 1.5 megawatts (MW), campus power is supplied by the central plant and electricity purchased from San Diego Gas and Electric to offset peak demand. The plant integrates a chilled water capacity of 2,000 tons and supplies chilled and hot water to the majority of buildings at the Saddleback College campus.

As part of the management services, Veolia has performed equipment condition assessments, implemented an EH&S program, and established new operating and maintenance guidelines for the central plant, in addition to meeting all performance requirements. Veolia will also manage several central plant capital projects. Following the successful implementation of Veolia’s EH&S program for the central plant, the District requested that Veolia provide EH&S services for the entire Saddleback College campus, illustrating its commitment to safety and the environment.

“Veolia is committed to helping the District meet its stringent environmental and performance goals, while ensuring the delivery of efficient, clean energy to the Saddleback College community,” said Bill DiCroce, COO and president of Veolia North America's Municipal and Commercial Business. “This partnership demonstrates Saddleback College’s strong commitment to sustainability and reinforces the college’s core mission to manage its environmental impact, while ensuring the continued safety of its students, employees and the community.”

Veolia is a world-class operator and developer of efficient energy solutions, helping universities and colleges operate and maintain complex energy infrastructure, as well as provide energy management consulting support to reduce energy consumption and cost. In addition to its growing district energy network, Veolia provides O&M services for several commercial and university customers in Los Angeles and across the United States. By delivering lifecycle operational savings, performance guarantees, and absorbing operational risk, Veolia has helped several leading universities and colleges across the country achieve significant energy savings, while meeting sustainability objectives.

Veolia group is the global leader in optimized resource management. With over 187,000 employees* worldwide, the Group designs and provides water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and to replenish them. In 2013, the group Veolia supplied 94 million people with drinking water and 62 million people with wastewater service, produced 54 million megawatt hours of energy and converted 38 million metric tons of waste into new materials and energy. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE and NYSE: VE) recorded consolidated revenue of $32.3 billion* in 2013. www.veolia.com Twitter @Veolia_NA

(*) 2013 pro-forma unaudited figures, including Dalkia International (100%) and excluding Dalkia France. Excluding Transdev employees and revenue currently under divestment.