Feedback to support the GIRSU Río Negro Alto Valle prefeasibility study

Study Tour of the Argentine Delegation to France: Feedback to Support the GIRSU Río Negro Alto Valle Prefeasibility Study

From November 3 to 10, 2025, Espelia, represented by Noémie Guigue and Lucas Ginestet from the Inter Environment team, accompanied the delegation from the Province of Río Negro (Argentina) on a study tour in France, alongside Seureca. This mission took place within the framework of the Technical Assistance (TA) financed by the EU’s Euroclima program and implemented by AFD, whose objective is to support the prefeasibility study on municipal solid waste management and the technical closure of open dumps (DCO – Décharges à Ciel Ouvert). This phase follows on from our first mission carried out in Argentina in May 2025, which marked the launch of the assignment.

Dual objectives of the mission:

• Achieve decisive progress in the project’s prefeasibility reports (design, environmental and social studies, procurement plan, financial analysis, etc.).

• Discover French models of waste management, circular economy, and broader environmental management in order to envision future pathways, inform the project model, and develop partnerships.

Program highlights:

Monday, 3/11: Redevelopment of a former quarry in Boulbon

Visit to the Boulbon quarry with the municipality of Boulbon, a striking example of the conversion of an abandoned site into a temporary cultural facility for the Avignon Festival, based on extensive work in site safety, fire prevention, and landscape integration.

Tuesday, 4/11: Circular economy in Avignon

Visit to Uzaje with Fanny Pouliquen: a leading player in the industrial washing of reusable packaging, providing an operational alternative to plastic containers used for cooking, reheating, and serving, now banned in collective catering since January 1, 2025. The Avignon facility washes around 15,000 containers per day and develops a social inclusion model.

Wednesday, 5/11: Sorting center and energy recovery in Védène

Visit to the Novalie ecopole, operated by SUEZ for SIDOMRA, serving a territory of approximately 220,000 inhabitants. The site operates 24/7, processes up to 26 tons of waste per hour, and brings together a recycling center, a sorting facility, and an incineration unit. The heat produced is recovered as electricity, covering the equivalent consumption of around 10,700 households.

Wednesday, 5/11 and Thursday, 6/11: Management of protected areas, including forest fire prevention and control

Discussions with the Cévennes National Park (PNC) on the governance of protected areas (distinction between the park core area and the membership area), issues related to light pollution, and the International Dark Sky Reserve (IDSR) label obtained in 2018. Exchanges continued around forest fire defense systems (DFCI) to better understand cooperation between the PNC, the National Forestry Office (ONF), and the sub-prefecture, the teams involved, and the regulatory framework governing forest fire prevention and management.

Friday, 7/11: MBT and biological stabilization in Mende

Visit to the Redoundel treatment center, the only facility in the Lozère department (152 municipalities, fewer than 100,000 inhabitants), operated by SDEE Lozère. The site receives approximately 40,000 tons of waste per year and combines mechanical-biological treatment, biological stabilization, and final landfilling of residues. It also rehabilitates former landfill sites through solar energy production.

Monday, 10/11: Strategic exchanges and partnerships at AFD Paris

A series of discussions with Hamerkop on progress in the carbon study and its next steps; with Expertise France to explore complementarities in cooperation; participation in a Biodiversity Collage workshop to better understand the interrelationships between human activities and ecosystems; and a meeting with CITEO to gain deeper insight into the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system and the financing mechanisms mobilized in France.

To better understand how this type of exercise benefits both the Argentine delegation and AFD, you can consult the interview conducted with two members of the Argentine delegation and Nicolas Faugère, Project Manager at AFD.

👉 https://youtu.be/sN0CCwVeLr4

Espelia is pleased to be able to initiate this type of initiative, which falls squarely within its field of expertise.

Next steps

This study tour represents a key milestone in finalizing the project’s prefeasibility study, by providing comparative insights on waste generation, operating expenditures (OPEX), financing mechanisms, organizational models, QHSE requirements, and social dimensions, while also paving the way for future collaborations.

Espelia and Seureca will continue this work over the coming months in order to achieve these two objectives: finalizing the prefeasibility study and structuring the next stages of cooperation.