Numerous biodiversity conservation measures have been taken at the Major Projects Division, via decrees to support protected species, including flora (argan trees replanted at the Abdelmoumen pumped-storage power plant in Morocco), amphibians and bats on all projects (e.g. on the B247 road in Germany, with the installation of 600 metres of amphibian fencing, around 10 hibernacula and a reserved area for large hamsters until the end of their reproduction period), as well as the common wall lizard (CDG Express railway line in Paris).
VINCI Energies integrates biodiversity issues into its products and services, and, if necessary, offers its customers more favourable alternatives. For example, in 2022 Omexom completed the largest freshwater high-voltage cabling project in Finland. To avoid disturbing a protected seal species, the company went beyond regulatory and contractual requirements by adapting its work schedule, anchoring barges outside the seal’s conservation areas and laying the cable at the bottom of the lake to limit the impact on its movements. Another example is the directional drilling method used by Omexom in Sweden, limiting the impact on the marine environment. Biodiversity issues are also integrated into activities on solar power projects. For example, more than 30,000 panels have been installed by Omexom RE Solar on a 17-hectare project in Tarn-et-Garonne, in south-west France. The project features several wetlands as well as an amphibian pond and will provide grazing for sheep. Measures are also taken to preserve biodiversity during the installation of solar farms on former quarries. Omexom teams worked with their customer Boralex to build a first floating solar farm on a body of water at a former gravel pit. With a capacity of 14.7 MWp, this energy-producing island was built with other VINCI Construction companies and covers about 30% of the lake’s surface area. The remainder is used to develop educational and tourist activities and redevelop the natural site, thus promoting biodiversity.
Concession companies include biodiversity preservation standards in their works contracts. ASF (VINCI Autoroutes) applies these requirements in all its calls for tender, with reserved areas during construction phases, staff awareness and checks. ASF also implements avoidance and mitigation measures at its worksites whenever possible.
In addition to avoidance and mitigation measures, VINCI business lines may implement offsets that can vary depending on their role in the project. When acting as programme managers, some VINCI entities, such as those in the Concessions business, can take responsibility for introducing offsets when the major impacts of a project could not be avoided or sufficiently mitigated. Some of the Group’s roadworks companies specialised in ecological engineering can also contribute to implementing compensatory mitigation measures, for example by restoring damaged environments (see paragraph 3.4.3.3, “Solutions for preserving biodiversity used by customers”, page 253). And some entities implement voluntary offsets that combine the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity issues or issues for local populations.
For many years, entities in the Concessions business have been adapting offsets to local requirements and monitoring ecological performance. VINCI Autoroutes has included significant offsets and support measures for the 24 km long western Strasbourg bypass. The project itself involves a land area of 278 hectares along 24 km, but the ecological offsets cover more than 1,300 hectares, of which 1,000 hectares to plant vegetation that will create a favourable habitat for the European hamster. These offsets were all implemented before the infrastructure opened and will be monitored throughout the duration of the concession. Support measures have also been taken as part of these offsets, such as the release of more than 1,000 European hamsters to increase current populations.
On the widening project for the A10 motorway, agreements were signed in 2022 with farmers to restore more than six hectares of wetlands. These offsets will be monitored over time to measure how species behave in their habitat. Offset measures were taken as part of the work to reinforce the protective structures of the banks of the Durance along the A51 motorway in Volx, in south-east France. One commendable achievement involved building an experimental canal to plant the species needed for the life cycle of a protected insect, the southern damselfly.
VINCI Concessions also spearheads many offset initiatives. LISEA has initiated a large-scale environmental mitigation programme in the region crossed by the South Europe Atlantic high-speed rail line (SEA HSL), more specifically to protect 223 species and implement 3,800 hectares of environmental and forest mitigation measures across 330 sites along the line (30% were acquired by LISEA and transferred to conservatories of natural areas, and 70% come under agreements with farmers or landowners). The monitoring information is shared via the CompenSEA platform developed by LISEA, which enables government agencies and environmental organisations to view all environmental data, land cover details and maps in real time for each site. CompenSEA can also be used in scheduling maintenance and monitoring, and provides a clear picture of tasks. The results of the biological assessment of natural environments and of the 40 environmental monitoring operations carried out each year are published regularly on LISEA’s website and shared at meetings with non-profit partner organisations.
At VINCI Construction quarries, offsets are implemented in situ or ex situ, in line with conditions determined with government agencies and local nature conservation partners.
