Ecological transition: VINCI solutions presented at Pollutec (30/10/2023)

At the Pollutec trade fair, which was held in Lyon from 10 to 13 October 2023, VINCI presented environmental solutions for adjusting to climate change, intensifying the circular economy and preserving water and natural environments.

Discussions, round tables, addresses by speakers and presentations of solutions… a wide range of formats were used to showcase innovative solutions and services. Through examples of concrete implementations, VINCI’s teams were able to reach out to visitors and explain how the Group is addressing the key challenges of the ecological transition.

Leonard, the VINCI Group’s innovation and forecasting platform, which supports environmentally-motivated start-ups and innovation projects, also presented a range of solutions for adapting towns and cities to climate change as well as for work sites and waste management, in particular by harnessing the circular economy.

Here’s a look-back at the highlights of the meeting!

Find out more about the solutions presented by VINCI below

Bringing a new freshness to urban areas: islands of coolness in the heart of the city

An offer from VINCI Construction that responds to and plays a concrete part in the strategies cities are adopting to adjust to and combat climate change. Four avenues are explored in order to bring a new freshness to cities and optimise rainwater management: increased vegetation cover, plot-specific water management, restoration of soil health and use of light-coloured road surfaces.

Preserving ecological continuity

VINCI Autoroutes’ programme to preserve ecological continuity helps to reduce the impact of motorways on their environment.

Sequestering residual emissions: carbon sinks

Once all the reduction measures have been implemented, the residualCO₂ emissions from airports can be sequestered by natural land resources: forest carbon sinks. In France, the Lyon-Saint Exupéry and Lyon-Bron airports (VINCI Airports) are behind two local reforestation initiatives that have been awarded the Bas-Carbone (low carbon) label.

Power Road: the positive energy road

To heat or cool city streets, buildings and infrastructure using a new, clean and renewable energy source, VINCI Construction is giving roads a new function: energy production.

SunMind: unlocking the potential of solar energy

SunMind is speeding up the decarbonisation of all VINCI Concessions’ and many other mobility infrastructures by working to bring the development of photovoltaic solutions to fruition.

SOLARVIA

SOLARVIA develops, designs, builds and operates photovoltaic parks in order to transform waste land along the sides of motorways and create value for local communities.

Waste-to-energy: an optimised reciprocating grate for an alternative to fossil fuels

This item of equipment is a compact, modular solution for the recovery of heat from high calorific value (HCV) waste, such as solid recovered fuels. It takes the form of a reciprocating grate that offers a low-carbon alternative to fossil-fuelled industrial heating systems.

Driving hydrogen-based mobility forwards

Hydrogen represents a strategic lever for decarbonisation in the air and road mobility sectors. Numerous experiments are under way or planned in the network of airport hubs operated by VINCI Airports.

GRASS

The new generation of granular activated sludge for water treatment. Developed by VINCI Construction in France, this solution makes it possible to treat wastewater more effectively than when using conventional activated sludge.

AiO-loop

The aim of AiO-loop, a solution developed by VINCI Construction Grands Projets, is to treat wastewater while reducing both space requirements and the environmental impact.

Intelligent irrigation in Florence

In collaboration with Axians Italy (VINCI Energies), the city of Florence has been able to cut water consumption by 30% thanks to an intelligent irrigation system.

Smart Users

This solution, developed by VINCI Construction Grands Projets, uses the IoT (Internet of Things) to detect abnormally high water consumption, in particular due to leaks.

Exegy: expanding the use of low-carbon concretes

VINCI Construction is setting new standards in the field of low-carbon concretes, with formulations that reduceCO₂ emissions by up to 60% compared with traditional concretes and offer at least equivalent strength and durability at similar costs.

Low-carbon motorway maintenance

Recovering and recycling asphalt mix on site in order to perform motorway maintenance or renovation tasks: this is VINCI Autoroutes’ approach to reducing dependence on raw materials and cutting CO₂ emissions. Up to 70% of asphalt aggregate mixes are recycled and reused thanks to an eco-designed plant set up close to the work site in order to reduce freight volumes and use bio-based fuels.

Ogêo: the circular economy in the service of sustainable construction

Designed for road construction and maintenance, Ogêo’s formulated products are made from granulates sourced from VINCI Construction’s quarries as well as from local materials from its recovery and recycling channels.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials.
   • Indicator: The article mentions VINCI’s solutions for preserving water and natural environments, which aligns with the target of improving water quality and reducing pollution.

2. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
   • Indicator: The article mentions VINCI’s solutions for harnessing renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, which aligns with the target of increasing the share of renewable energy.

3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.
   • Indicator: The article mentions VINCI’s solutions for adjusting to climate change, intensifying the circular economy, and preserving natural environments, which aligns with the target of upgrading infrastructure and adopting sustainable technologies.

4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.3: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated, and sustainable human settlement planning and management.
   • Indicator: The article mentions VINCI’s solutions for adapting towns and cities to climate change, which aligns with the target of enhancing sustainable urbanization.

5. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
   • Indicator: The article mentions VINCI’s solutions for adjusting to climate change, which aligns with the target of integrating climate change measures into planning and strategies.

6. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.
   • Indicator: The article mentions VINCI’s initiatives for reforestation and the creation of forest carbon sinks, which aligns with the target of promoting sustainable forest management and reforestation.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: vinci.com

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