Sabrina Soussan, the CEO of the SUEZ Group, recently toured Australia to see the success of the Group’s Australia and New Zealand business. Soussan started her tour at the Victorian Desalination Plant in Wonthaggi, southeast of Melbourne.
When it comes to global leaders in the water and wastewater industry, it’s hard to go past the SUEZ Group. The company’s CEO, Sabrina Soussan, recently toured Australia and has been impressed with what she has seen.
Soussan was appointed Chief Executive Officer of SUEZ on 30 November 2021 and took up her position at the beginning of February 2022. Later that year, she was appointed Chairman and CEO.
She is responsible for implementing the strategy of SUEZ, defined jointly with the board of directors. Soussan will support an ambitious development plan worldwide for its primary activity sectors, water and waste. She is also in charge of rolling out a leading-edge policy on the environmental transition. This will reflect the expectations of the staff and will be central to SUEZ’s activities.
“I am starting my trip with a visit to our Victorian Desalination Plant. I am looking forward to visiting more sites across the country,” said Soussan.
“It’s remarkable to see first-hand how the plant is helping us work towards becoming the trusted partner for circular solutions in water and waste– a fundamental component to securing a sustainable water future for the Victorian community.”
First stop: Wonthaggi
Wonthaggi may not be the most obvious starting point for an Australian tour for most visitors. However, it is the site of the Victorian Desalination Plant, also known as the VDP.
The Victorian Desalination Plant comprises 29 buildings, including the reverse osmosis building, the heart of the VDP. The plant has a guaranteed production capacity of 150 billion litres of water a year and the capability to expand to 200 billion litres a year.
As a rainfall-independent source of water, it complements Victoria’s existing catchments. With key components of the plant having a design life of 100 years, it can produce high-quality water whenever required, making it a resource that will be valued in times of future drought.
Soussan was taken on a facility tour by Julien Tauvry, the Plant Director of Watersure. Watersure is the joint venture that manages the VDP. New SUEZ Australia and New Zealand CEO Kevin Werksman and General Manager and Business Development Mark Lautre joined Soussan and Tauvry.
“Meeting the team was very rewarding and inspiring,” she said.
“I can see that everyone adheres to our purpose, which drives us and guides us in everything we do. It reflects our contribution to society and the reason why we exist.”
Soussan was taken through every segment of the VDP, including the seawater lift pumps, the screen and feed pump stations, the Dual Media Pressure Filters (DMPF), the backwash treatment stations, and the enormous reverse osmosis building.
VDP has minimal environmental impact
The VDP was designed under strict environmental regulations. It is Australia’s most technically advanced, environmentally sensitive and energy-efficient desalination facility.
It is built within 225 hectares of bushland in an ecologically sensitive coastal area. This bushland was recovered as part of the development and remains critical to the overall environmental success of the project. Soussan was impressed with the commitment to environmental protection. The green roof was particularly interesting to her because it is the largest green roof in the southern hemisphere. It comprises native plants that fit into the natural environment as if the building is invisible from most angles.
“The plants blend the facility perfectly into the landscape. We could not see or even hear anything until we were in front of the building,” Soussan said.
All the machinery is designed for minimal acoustic impact. The loudest machines are placed inside to reduce the impact on the surrounding environment, and anything that cannot be installed inside is designed for the lowest acoustic output possible.
Soussan spent the rest of her time in Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth. She returned to France at the end of last week.
For more information, visit https://www.suez.com/en/australia-new-zealand.
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