The European leader in energy services, Dalkia was created in 1998 by the merger of Compagnie Générale de Chauffe and Esys Montenay, both subsidiaries of Groupe Générale des Eaux at the time. Today, Dalkia is Veolia Environnement's energy services division. EDF became a shareholder following an agreement with Vivendi Environnement in December 2000.
A brief history
1960: Central heating in the Saint-Dizier development zone (France
70 years of growth across the energy chain
1937: First performance-based contract signed
1935: Heating plant at the Villiers-Saint-Denis hospital (France).
One cold winter evening in northern France, the heating systems at the Villiers-Saint-Denis hospital broke down. Léon Dewailly, founder of Chauffage Service, stepped in immediately. The repairs were performed so quickly that the hospital's manager asked for a facility operation and maintenance performance contract that stipulated a guaranteed temperature. The hospital is still a Dalkia customer today.
1950's: Europe rebuilds
1950's: Coal delivery by Compagnie générale de chauffe (France).
One of the main trends to emerge from the reconstruction of Europe was residential complexes, with their own district heating systems. Chauffage Service's fortunes expanded along with this boom. Created in 1860 as a fuel trading company, Montenay signed its first heating plant management contract, for municipal buildings in the city of Tours.
1960's: Growth and international expansion
1960's: Field service vehicle, Montenay, avenue de l'Opéra in Paris.
The decade was shaped by consolidation—Chauffage Service merged with Compagnie Générale de Chauffe (CGC), an HVAC engineering company, and CGC expanded into the United Kingdom and Belgium.
1970's: The energy crisis challenge
1970's : Cogeneration in Wattrelos, (France).
The energy crisis in Europe spurred new financial concerns. Montenay and Compagnie Générale de Chauffe, which had both become part of Groupe Générale des Eaux, responded to the challenge by developing geothermal energy and energy recovery, while continuing to build heating networks and constantly innovating with upgraded plants, energy transmission systems and delivery stations.
1990s: Strong growth in Europe
2001 : Control room - Vilnius plant (Lithuania).
In the 1990s, Compagnie Générale de Chauffe expanded into Central and Eastern Europe. During this period, Compagnie Générale des Eaux brought CGC and Esys Montenay together to form a single Energy Services division. There was also growing public awareness of major global environmental challenges, such as scarce, expensive energy and the greenhouse effect. In response, the Energy Services division began focusing on cogeneration and renewable energies. New solutions were developed, such as industrial services, multi-services and multitechnical services.
The 21st century: An international group
Heating plant - heating network of Marijampole (Lithuania).
In 1998, the Energy Services business was renamed Dalkia. This was followed in 2000 by an agreement under which Dalkia acquired French electric utility EDF's services subsidiaries, including Clemessy and Citélum. Dalkia gained an expanded presence in international markets, and in just a few years became Europe's leading energy services provider.