Veolia “not seeking to dominate London”

Yes of course we want to grow, we want to lead the market, but we don't just want to be the biggest.

 
Denis Gasquet, Veolia

In an exclusive interview last week, Mr Gasquet responded to a question about the company's growing presence in London where some waste sector experts have privately commented on the company's growth, even though other firms are now expanding in the capital.

Veolia runs a large number of London council contracts, including Westminster, and had expanded its activities through its acquisition of Cleanaway, just over a year ago (see letsrecycle.com story).

Mr Gasquet explained that the company's strategy was to be the market leader but more especially being a leader in terms of service and technology.

He said: “I think we also need competition. Yes of course we want to grow, we want to lead the market, but we don't just want to be the biggest. We want to have good contracts, good relationship with our customers, provide quality service, technical solutions and good people.

“We aim for very good relationship in the long term. In the UK we have been able to bring in some ideas and improve qualities of service,” Mr Gasquet added.

And, speaking in Sheffield at the official opening of the city's energy recovery plant (see letsrecycle.com story), he summed up Veolia's aims as “to be the reference player, one everyone looks up to.”

“Generalist”

The company's strategy in the UK is no different to elsewhere, said the chief executive. “Here it is typically in the same that we develop in every country, to be a generalist: with waste to energy, landfill and recycling.”

Mr Gasquet said that the UK market was very different to France which did not have approaches such as the Private Finance Initiative or Public Private Partnerships. “These are the best way to get economies of scale – this much more difficult in France.”

Paris, he said, was much different to London and “very complicated. The city is responsible for the collection and we provide about one third of the services. In disposal, there is an agreement with the region which they run themselves for recycling, landfill and waste to energy.”

In terms of disposal in Paris, Veolia has a small share in the energy to waste side, explained Mr Gasquet. It provides most of the landfill and about half of recycling services.