1990

• First experiments with selective waste collection.
• The Urban Community of Lille, in the context of its energy control policy, decided to recover the surplus of biogas produced by the digestion of the sewage sludge of the main waste water treatment plant. A pilot scrubbing unit was designed to produce biomethane.

From 1994

• Experiments with biomethane fuel production in the waste water treatment plant of Marquette, which provides fuel for four buses.

1999

• Decision to progressively, yet totally replace the diesel buses with natural gas and biomethane buses.

2003

• 70,000 tons of clean and dry waste and 60,000 tons of bio-waste are recycled.

2004

• Decision of the urban community Council to produce biomethane from the raw biogas generated by the digestion of household bio-waste.
• Decision to renovate the biomethane upgrading unit in the Marquette waste water treatment plant.

2005

• Construction of the Organic Recovery Centre in Sequedin to treat 100,000 tons of bio-waste per year.
• Construction of the natural gas/biomethane bus depot in Sequedin. 100 of the 150 buses will use the biomethane produced by the Organic Recovery Centre.

2007

• Operations start at the Organic Recovery Centre. Production of biomethane equivalent to 4 million liters of diesel per year.

Gas-powered buses: high level of profitability and performance

The commercial use of 127 gas-powered buses proved the reliability of the system and its economic competitiveness in relation to diesel after 16 million kms of use.