Circular economy: nothing is wasted, everything can be transformed

Many factories give off heat. Often this heat is simply lost. EDF and its subsidiary Dalkia, which specialises in energy services and urban energy recovery, offers industrial customers and local authorities innovative solutions to harness renewable energy (such as geothermal energy) or recycle energy (such as recycling waste or heat recovery from industrial processes). This model, known as the ‘circular economy’, helps to reduce the waste of resources and the environmental impact of industrial activity.

For instance, in Dunkerque, the heat produced in the blast furnaces of ArcelorMittal is recycled by Dalkia to heat several thousand buildings, including a hospital, schools and many residential buildings. In Seine-et-Marne, the heat from a data centre heats the air and water of the local swimming pool, with the added benefit that it avoids 5,400 tonnes of CO₂ emissions a year. And in the Landes region, a waste recycling centre supplies energy to a 10-hectare eco greenhouse for the production of tomatoes.

Recycling waste heat provides an enormous source of energy, as well as significant savings, which benefit us all: industrial companies, local authorities and the public.