Veolia, a major player in environmental services, has announced a strategic agreement with Mistral AI, a French startup specializing in generative artificial intelligence. This partnership aims to optimize the management of the group’s industrial infrastructures, particularly in water treatment, waste recycling, and local energy production.
Increased Automation for Faster Interventions
The integration of artificial intelligence tools developed by Mistral AI will allow maintenance technicians to instantly access equipment data via a simple mobile device. Specifically, when a turbine or another plant component shows signs of reduced performance, the operator will be able to query the system directly, without waiting for a manual diagnosis. The AI will then analyze historical and real-time data to provide an accurate status of the situation and intervention recommendations.
Time and Efficiency Gains for Several Hundred Plants
The system is currently being tested at seven plants across France, the United Kingdom, and outside of Europe. Veolia aims to expand this technology to several dozen sites by the end of the year and, eventually, equip 30% of its maintenance technicians with this tool. This represents several hundred industrial installations that could benefit from these AI-assisted analysis and diagnostic capabilities.
A Multi-Million-Euro Investment
Although the group has not disclosed specific figures regarding the investment, Veolia’s CEO, Estelle Brachlianoff, mentioned contracts worth millions of euros, with an evolving budget depending on the sites concerned. The stated goal is to increase electricity production while optimizing water resource use and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the infrastructures.
