Inauguration of Mo'UVE: Sirtomad's new waste-to-energy unit

MO’UVE, an acronym for Montauban Unité de Valorisation Energétique (Montauban waste-to-energy plant), is the fruit of an ambition shared by Séché Environnement and Sirtomad: to use the region’s waste to produce a low-carbon, local alternative to fossil fuels.

On 7 November, Marie-Claude Berly, President of Sirtomad, and Joël Séché, President of Séché Environnement, officially inaugurated Mo’UVE. For this occasion, many companies that contributed to the construction, as well as the participants and employees of Mo’UVE, were able to discover this new industrial complex, whose resolutely modern architecture blends harmoniously into its ecosystem.

‘This new facility, Mo’UVE, is an example of the actions we are taking in the region in favour of the circular economy and the development of new industrial ecology solutions. Improved performance has made it possible to extend our heating network, and to produce electricity from now on. It is a source of pride for me to inaugurate this tool, in the presence of Brigitte Barèges, who initiated and monitored the creation of this beautiful facility.’  Marie-Claude Berly, President of Sirtomad.

‘For more than 20 years, Séché Environnement, with its subsidiary DRIMM, has been providing the region with its expertise to build a more sustainable world. Since 2021, with Mo’UVE, we have been strengthening this commitment by transforming waste into energy resources, thus contributing to the decarbonization of the territory. This was possible thanks to a strong partnership with Sirtomad and close collaboration between the site’s employees, the local authorities and the companies involved.’  Maxime Séché – Managing Director of Séché Environnement

‘We have been working on this project for many years, and I’m proud to inaugurate it today. It is a response to the challenges of climate change and waste recovery, and provides us with a long-term structuring tool. In this, we confirm the ambitions of our Positive Energy Territory for Green Growth in the service of a new French energy and economic model.’ Brigitte Barèges, Member of Parliament for Tarn-et-Garonne

2 years of work and nearly 100 companies involved

2 years of work were all it took to build and commission Mo’UVE, while keeping the old facility in operation, in order to ensure the continuity of waste treatment. A real challenge for the teams, the construction work was carried out in isolation from the site’s day-to-day activities. Nearly 100 companies, many of them local, were mobilised to achieve this.

The first waste was treated at the new plant in August 2023, and Mo’UVE produced its first electric kw in November. After a period of industrial commissioning, followed by performance tests, the new facility went into nominal operation in spring 2024.

This was followed by the phase of dismantling the old equipment, then refurbishing the preserved buildings, in order to form a harmonious whole.

A final stage of the project saw the landscaping of a courtyard garden, in place of the old facilities. This is a first step in the Act4Nature program, dedicated to biodiversity issues, which will be rolled out on the site over the next few years.

A site with high energy and environmental performance

With Mo’UVE, the territory has new energy resources from waste.

• The site now produces almost twice as much thermal energy for the heating network, which has recently been extended. It now serves numerous public and private buildings, representing the equivalent of 4,200 homes.
• Mo’UVE is also now a producer of electricity, the majority of which is injected into the public grid.

Finally, the flue gas treatment has been completely redesigned and meets the most stringent requirements, thus contributing to the air quality objectives.