What remains of Suez after the takeover of 60% of its activities by its eternal rival, Veolia? Still great assets in the management of water and waste in France and abroad, underlined the CEO of the group, Sabrina Soussan, presenting, Tuesday, September 27, its 2022-2027 strategy. Once the waste activities of the former Suez in the United Kingdom and those of hazardous products in France, which Veolia had to sell to it for competitive reasons, and a recent acquisition in South Africa are integrated, turnover will increase from 7.5 billion to 9 billion euros and its workforce from 35,000 to 44,000 people. Certainly far from the 37 billion and 220,000 employees of its French competitor, but sufficient to develop in several markets.
In addition to France, the United Kingdom and Italy, Suez has maintained positions in China, India, Australia and the Middle East, as well as in Africa (Morocco, Senegal, South Africa). Forty countries in total, which should represent 40% of its activity in five years, against 25% today. As if to confirm this international ambition, essential to the sustainability of the group, Suez has announced the signing of a contract worth 700 million euros over twenty years for the management of water in part of Bombay, the largest since its first establishment in India in 1978.
“Suez is back. We are going to focus on our historical businesses, water and waste” – Sabrina Soussan, Group CEO
“Suez is backassures M.me Soussan. We are going to focus on our historical businesses, water and waste, and differentiate ourselves through innovation, customer experience, investment and the creation of value, not only for our shareholders, but for our customers, our employees and for society. » She believes that the group must walk “on two feet”water and waste, even if, in five years, the first will have lost ground and will weigh only 45% of the activity, and household and industrial waste, 55%.
“Remunicipalisation” and “partnerships”
These two sectors are driven by the urgency of a circular economy requiring rational use of water and its treatment against micropollutants, as well as the recycling of plastics and the recovery of waste to produce heat, electricity and biogas. Thus the boss of the new Suez, who ran the German railway construction giant Siemens Mobility, is counting on an average annual growth of 4% to 5% of its turnover over five years, and a profitability higher than this digit.
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