Kerea: new waste recovery plant inaugurated in Viviez (France)

The fruit of a partnership between the SYDOM Aveyron, Séché Environnement and the Aveyron company Sévigné, this structuring project marks a decisive step forward for the sustainable management of waste and the ecological transition of the territory.

A local, sustainable response to the region's challenges

For nearly a decade, Aveyron no longer had dedicated facilities to treat its residual household waste, following the closure of the Sainte-Radegonde (2010) and Villefranche-de-Rouergue (2018) sites, and the abandonment of an interdepartmental project with TRIFYL.

Faced with this impasse, SYDOM's elected representatives decided in 2019 to provide the department with a 100% Aveyron solution, perfectly in line with national and regional guidelines on waste recovery and reduction. In 2020, the Séché Environnement / Sévigné / Solena consortium was chosen as part of a public service delegation to design, finance, build and operate KEREA for 25 years, via the dedicated Solena Valorisation company. This partnership provides the local authority with controlled, long-term management, with full ownership of the facility scheduled to return in 2045.

Developed on an industrial wasteland rehabilitated back in 2007 by teams from Séché Eco Service, the site embodies the alliance between industrial memory and green economy, in compliance with the Zero Net Artificialization law.

An innovative multi-stream site

With an annual capacity of 90,000 tonnes of household waste and 8,000 tonnes of bio-waste, KEREA enables over 70% of incoming waste to be recovered in the form of materials, energy or compost.

Among its assets:

• A robotized sorting system integrating artificial intelligence;
• A production of renewable energy (31,000 t/year of CSR for industries and 13,100 MWh/year of biomethane injected into the grid, equivalent to 2,620 t CO2 eq. avoided);
• The production of standardized compost (up to 3,000 t/year) useful for local agriculture;
• An ambitious biodiversity program: planting 5,000 trees, creating 27 ponds, protecting sensitive species;
• A biomass boiler plant covering 100% of the site's energy needs.

A major investment, creating value for Aveyron

With an investment of €79.5 million, supported by the ADEME (€8.9 million) and the Région Occitanie (€202,250), KEREA has established itself as a strategic project for the region.

• 80 companies involved in the construction, 70% of them from Aveyron;
• Nearly 130 jobs mobilized during the construction phase, representing more than 168,000 man-hours;
• 32 permanent jobs created for site operation.

A pillar of Aveyron's ecological transition

Beyond technical performance, KEREA aims to be a educational and open site, enabling local residents, schoolchildren and stakeholders to discover the wealth of waste management professions and the challenges of the circular economy.

A model for the future

With KEREA, Aveyron now has a complete waste management chain, reconciling industrial efficiency, energy transition and preservation of biodiversity.

This project illustrates Séché Environnement's commitment to supporting territories in their ecological transition, by creating circular economy loops and contributing to the decarbonation of production and consumption patterns.