In Clichy (92), Heidelberg Materials is giving its historic power plant a new look, demonstrating that industry and city can move forward together

Located on the banks of the Seine for almost fifty years, the Heidelberg Materials plant in Clichy has just completed a major transformation phase, the result of an investment of almost 4 million euros.

Inaugurated on June 25, 2026, this ambitious project addresses three major objectives: strengthening its integration into the heart of the city, bringing its industrial and environmental performance up to the best standards, and sustainably supporting the construction needs of the Ile-de-France region.

When a historic power plant combines industrial activity and quality of life

At a time when cities must reconcile urban development, decarbonization and quality of life, the Clichy power plant provides a concrete answer to a fundamental question: what place should be given to industrial activities in the city of tomorrow?

For Heidelberg Materials, producing locally in Clichy makes it possible to reconcile economic activity, reduced transport distances and rapid supply of construction sites in western Paris and Greater Paris.

"Our common goal is to successfully reconcile industrial activity and quality of life," recalls Bruno Pillon, President of Heidelberg Materials France.

Launched in 2020, this project represents the most significant transformation of the site since its creation in 1980. The power plant, which Bruno Pillon humorously describes as a "young fifty-year-old", has thus acquired a new look thanks to the creation of a green wall (47 m long) and an artistic mural by the ART-FRESQUE workshop (110 m long), both 5,50 m high, as well as reinforced cladding to limit noise pollution and dust emissions.

Its prime location on the banks of the Seine is also a major advantage. All raw materials can be transported by river and a new, fully automated cement unloading system has been set up in collaboration with HAROPA, contributing to the development of more sustainable logistics.

A state-of-the-art industrial tool to support the major challenges of construction in the Île-de-France region

The Clichy plant is now an essential link in the local construction chain. With a capacity of over 100.000 m³ of concrete per year, it supports building, infrastructure and urban development projects in western Paris.

The facility relies on equipment designed to combine efficiency, flexibility, and operational safety. Five primary aggregate storage bays allow for the storage of approximately 2.250 tonnes of material, while a 54-meter-long extraction tunnel, located below the level of the Seine, and a secondary storage facility with a capacity of 650 tonnes optimize production flows. Six cement silos, including three 300-tonne silos, two 100-tonne silos, and one 60-tonne silo, totaling a capacity of 1.160 tonnes, complete this system.

The plant is also equipped with a production line and a 3 m³ double door mixer offering the possibility of loading two mixer trucks alternately and perfectly streamlining the organization of the site.

Beyond its industrial performance, the Heidelberg Materials plant in Clichy stands out for the diversity of solutions it offers. No fewer than 1.250 formulations are developed there to meet the needs of professionals. While standard and high-performance (high-strength) concretes represent the majority of its activity, the teams also develop specific solutions for diaphragm walls, shotcrete, as well as decorative and permeable concretes that contribute to the de-sealing of urban soils.

“More sustainable construction doesn’t mean construction without concrete,” Bruno Pillon points out. “Compatible with environmental concerns, concrete with a lower carbon footprint is also an economic advantage because it allows for more affordable construction.”

An environmental benchmark that makes "zero emissions" a reality

Having already been modernized several times throughout its history, the Clichy site is now taking another step forward by becoming a benchmark for the group in terms of environmental performance.

All rainwater is collected, stored and then reused in the industrial process.

Two 150 m³ basins ensure the management of wastewater and clarified water.

Water that has come into contact with concrete, particularly water from washing facilities and concrete mixer trucks, is treated by a recycling unit that functions like a true industrial washing machine. It separates the aggregates from the water laden with cement particles using a screw conveyor, allowing for their extraction and storage for reuse. The water containing cement particles is then directed to a dedicated basin before being treated and reintroduced into the process.

Thanks to a sludge press operating by high-pressure filtration reaching up to 150 bar, the wastewater is clarified and then reused for concrete production and facility cleaning. The dewatered sludge, compacted into cakes, is then transported to the Heidelberg Materials cement plant in Couvrot where it is processed.

All the cement silos and the mixer are equipped with filtration systems designed to capture and channel dust emissions.

This approach is also part of the site's adherence to the HAROPA Port Improvement Charter, which promotes practices that foster more sustainable port logistics and are better integrated with their environment.

"Global problem, local solution." This phrase used by Bruno Pillon perfectly sums up the vocation of this historic site: to provide, on a territorial scale, concrete answers to the major challenges of tomorrow's construction while demonstrating that industry and city are not opposed but mutually reinforce each other.