French industrial and service giant Suez yesterday signed a memorandum of strategic partnership on environmental protection with Tianjin Binhai New Area, a move that further strengthens the firm's presence in China.

According to the agreement, Suez will develop a master plan for the management of all water, sanitation, waste and energy services in the development zone.

The first stage of this strategic partnership, signed for three years, will cover integrated waste management for the zone, and the partnership will later cover water and energy efficient areas, Gerard Mestrallet, Suez chairman and CEO, said at the signing ceremony.

Declining to reveal how much investment there would be in the project, Mestrallet gave a commitment the firm would provide all its energy and environment expertise to Tianjin Binhai New Area.

"The Binhai agreement offers important business development opportunities for Swire SITA, the local Suez environment subsidiary, particularly in the fields of waste recycling and recovery and waste to energy conversion," the CEO said.

He noted the collaboration also illustrated Suez's strong development focus in China - to accompany the organization and management of public utilities in fast-growing urban areas.

Hao Shouyi, vice-director of the management of Tianjin Binhai New Area, said: "We look at two criteria when seeking the partner for environmental services: the willingness to invest in infrastructure and advantage in integrated solutions for all environmental demands."

Binhai New Area extends 153 km along the coastline covering 2,270 sq m, with the population of 1.7 million.

Suez's historical presence in greater China dates back to 1897, when a Suez subsidiary built a 1,200-km railway that linked Beijing to Wuhan.

(China Daily 11/27/2007 page14)