Îlot Charles-III to become Monaco's new waste and water hub
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
The government has launched a formal tender for a major waste treatment and water recycling centre at the western entrance to the Principality.
Minister of State Christophe Mirmand has outlined plans to transform the Îlot Charles-III site, near Monaco's western boundary, into a combined waste treatment, water recycling and property development zone. The government has opened a competitive tender under a Marché de Partenariat Global de Performance, a demanding public-private framework that bundles design, construction, financing and long-term operation into a single contract.
At the heart of the project is a new Centre de Traitement et de Valorisation des Déchets, which will replace ageing waste management infrastructure and incorporate facilities for water recycling. The choice of a global performance partnership format signals that the government is seeking a single operator to carry full responsibility across the project's lifecycle, rather than splitting contracts between multiple parties.
The Îlot Charles-III sits at the western entry point to Monaco, an area that has long been identified as a candidate for redevelopment. Mirmand's comments confirm that beyond the environmental infrastructure, a real estate component is also planned for the site, though detailed terms will depend on the outcome of the tender process.
For residents and property owners in the western districts, the project represents a significant long-term change to one of Monaco's main arrival points. The MPGP format typically runs over several decades, meaning the operator selected through this process will shape the site well into the middle of the century.