Veolia, EPM team up to develop energy-efficiency solutions

Veolia and EPM signed an agreement late last week to develop energy-efficiency services in Latin America.

The alliance falls under the France-Colombia Strategic Committee, launched in January by the two countries’ governments, and signed in Medellín by Ramon Rebuelta, executive vice president for Latin America at Veolia, and Juan Esteban Calle Restrepo, CEO of EPM and leader of the EPM Group.

“This alliance has been forged in the year in which EPM is celebrating its 60th anniversary and will enable us to be involved in the rollout of solutions to encourage the competitiveness of our customers in Colombia and in all the other countries where we are present, and to contribute to consolidating sustainable and competitive regions,” Restrepo said.

The purpose of the Veolia-EPM alliance is to create an energy-service company (ESCO) that will be able to provide solutions to develop, install, finance, operate and maintain projects designed to improve energy efficiency.

The first step will include energy audits on customers’ premises to identify the main sources of energy consumption and the least-energy-efficient operations, with the goal of creating energy-efficiency solutions.

“This initiative, above all, underscores our belief that energy efficiency contributes directly to protecting the environment, the well being of communities, and the competitiveness of industry and commerce through innovative solutions serving communities,” Restrepo said.