New contracts in the USA The awards mark the company’s expansion in the US Midwest and North Carolina. The city of Saint Paul, capital of the state of Minnesota, has awarded FCC Environmental Services, a subsidiary of FCC Servicios Medio Ambiente in the United States, a new urban solid waste collection contract worth more than 115 million dollars (some 107 million euros). The service, which covers almost the entire municipality, is scheduled to run for seven years and will begin on 1 November 2024. The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in North Carolina has awarded FCC Environmental Services the municipal solid waste collection contract worth up to $110 million (€101.4 million). The service has an initial term of seven years with a possible one-year extension and will commence on 1 January 2025. The contract aims to provide collection services to some 175,000 residents in the county’s “unincorporated communities”, those areas that have a common social identity but are not organised as a local entity. To deliver this new service, the company will employ 43 local staff and make a major investment of over $15 million (13.84 million euros), including approximately 70,000 new containers, 24 new collection vehicles and five auxiliary vehicles. The service will employ around 60 local people and serve more than 300,000 inhabitants and involves a major investment of $25 million (23.2 million euros). This investment will go towards the acquisition of more than 30 new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered collection trucks and the construction of a CNG refuelling station, as well as the purchase of all-electric inspection vehicles and a 100% electric refuse and rubbish collection truck, reflecting the commitment of Saint Paul City Council and FCC to sustainability and urban environmental protection. The award of this contract is another example of the dedication and expansion of FCC Servicios Medio Ambiente in the American Midwest, where it began in 2020 providing waste collection services to 150,000 households in the city of Omaha (Nebraska). Buncombe County,North Carolina Saint Paul, Minnesota Collection truck powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in the Midwest. 16 B BUSINESS/ ENVIRONMENT