SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT (EPA:SCHP) Resilient activity confirmed in Q3 2009

Transparency directive : regulatory news

28/10/2009 17:35

Press Release

Changé, October 28, 2009

           Resilient activity confirmed in Q3 2009

Activity in line with the first-half trends

· Hazardous Waste: stabilization of activity
· Non-Hazardous Waste: return to measured growth

Hime/Saur: strong resilience of activity

· Water: continued growth in France
· Sanitation: resilience of activity to disrupted markets

With revenue of EUR 91.9 million in Q3 2009, Séché Environnement confirmed the
resilience of its activities to a still difficult economic environment.

The consolidated activity over the period therefore reflects the continuing of
the trends reported in the first half of 2009.

The Group has benefited from the Non-Hazardous Waste (NHW) division's return to
measured growth, whereas business conditions remain disrupted for Hazard Waste
(HW), particularly on the international markets.

The total consolidated revenue over 9 months amounted to EUR 270.1 million,
compared to EUR 279.5 million a year earlier, marking a -3.4% decrease.

Consolidated figures in EUR m under IFRS

At September 30                         2008         2009        Change
                                                                2009/2008
Hazardous Waste                         191.5       184.3       - 3.8%
Non-hazardous Waste                      87.9        85.8       - 2.4%
Net consolidated revenue                279.5       270.1       - 3.4%

Press Release of October 28, 2009

The activity for the quarter was characterized by the continuing of the trends
that have emerged during the financial year, with different changes for HW and
NHW on the one hand and for French and International markets on the other:

  > Hazardous Industrial Waste (68% of revenue): With a quarterly turnover of
    EUR 60.3 million (-4.5%), this activity has stabilized in France at levels
    below those of the previous year and the division's performance remains
    affected by still mediocre International business conditions.

    · In France, the revenue totaled EUR 56.0 million (-3.2% compared to
      Q3 2008), indicating the stabilization of these markets.


      Séché Environnement has also been able to partially deploy its activity
      to a highly diverse client base, within certain business niches governed
      by strict regulations (PCB, decontamination, etc.).

      The business is still mainly affected by the fall in activities with a
      close link to industrial output;

    · In terms of International activity (5.4% of consolidated revenue), the
      revenue at constant exchange rates equaled EUR 14.6 million vs. EUR 16.4
      million at September 30, 2008, down 11.0% over the period(1).


      Business with this scope has mainly suffered from the poor performance of
      solvent regeneration activities (Valls Quimica in Spain).

  > Non-Hazardous Waste (32% of revenue): this division is benefiting from its
    exclusive positioning in waste treatment, as opposed to highly cyclical
    sorting and recycling activities.

    The division's return to growth in the third quarter (+2.1% vs. Q3 2008 to
    EUR 85.8 million) reflects a slight recovery in volumes compared to the
    start of the year. The division is also benefiting from green electricity
    sales, which totaled EUR 4.2 million at September 30, 2009.

Future prospects

Against a backdrop of sustained disruption to the macro-economic environment,
Séché Environnement has the advantage of an exclusive positioning in the waste
treatment and recovery markets, whose high barriers to entry and restrictive
regulations are dampening the effects of the crisis.

Activity in the fourth quarter, which is traditionally the strongest quarter of
the financial year, will compare unfavorably to the high level of activity
achieved in the last months of 2008, particularly in the Hazardous Waste
division, whereas the more positive trends that have appeared in recent months
should be confirmed for Non-Hazardous Waste.

(1) At constant exchange rates, the revenue of the International subsidiaries
    would have been EUR 16.1 million at September 30, 2008.

The Group can count on the high dispersion of its clients and its many business
lines to develop its waste mix to cover the most profitable business niches,
while trying to limit the impact on its operating margins to the level reached
in H1 2009.

Séché Environnement is therefore continuing to assume stable financial
aggregates and balance sheet ratios for the current financial year.

Hime-Saur's consolidated revenue at September 30, 2009

With consolidated revenue of EUR 402.8 million in Q3 2009, up +1.4% compared to
Q3 2008, Hime has confirmed the solidity of its Water activities in France and
the resilience of its Cleanliness activities:

· Water (+2.5% to EUR 322.3 million): the satisfactory growth in Water
   activities in France (+4.7%) has absorbed the fall in the International
   markets (particularly Spain);
· Sanitation (-2.6% to EUR 80.5 million): This activity, which is mainly
   focused on the collection, sorting and recycling of NHW, reflects the
   stabilization of Coved's markets at levels that are, however, below those
   of 2008.

The total consolidated revenue over 9 months amounted to EUR 1,142 million,
down -1.2% on the same period in 2008.

Consolidated figures in EUR m under IFRS

At September 30                         2008         2009        Change
                                                                2009/2008
Water                                  916.6         913.0       -0.4%
Sanitation                             238.7         228.6       -4.2%
Consolidated revenue                 1,155.4       1,141.6       -1.2%

A telephone conference will be held today at 6pm precisely (Paris time)
                         at: +33 (0)1 7200 1361
               where you will be welcomed by a hostess.

     The presentation of the results is also available at:

http://www.groupe-seche.com/majic/pageServer/1b0100000m/fr/
Presentations-SFAF.html

Calendar:
Release of consolidated revenue figures as at December 31, 2009 on
January 28, 2009 (after market)

About Séché Environnement

Séché Environnement is one of the leading players in the treatment and storage
of all types of non-radioactive industrial and household waste in France. Its
facilities enable it to offer high-quality global solutions that incorporate all
environmental requirements.

It is the leading independent operator in the country with a unique positioning
in activities, concentrating on the higher added-value end of the recovery,
waste management and storage markets.

The Group offers integrated specialized services:

> the treatment (by incineration, physical-chemical treatment and solvent
   regeneration) and processing for recovery of hazardous and non-hazardous
   waste (HW and NHW);

> storage of ultimate hazardous or non-hazardous waste (HW or NHW).

In April 2007, Séché Environnement acquired a 33% stake in Saur Group, the No. 3
player in the Water and Environmental Services sector in France. Since May 2008,
Séché Environnement has held an option to purchase an 18% stake in Hime, the
parent holding company of Saur Group, allowing Séché Environnement to assume
ownership of Saur Group by May 2012.

Séché Environnement has been quoted on Eurolist by Euronext since
November 27, 1997.
(Compartment B - ISIN: FR 0000039109 - Bloomberg: SCHP.FP - Reuters: CCHE.PA).

Contact

Séché Environnement

Manuel Andersen
Head of Investor Relations
+33 (0)1 53 21 53 60
m.andersen@groupe-seche.com

Important notice

This press release may contain information of a provisional nature. This
information represents either trends or targets at the date of the press
release's publication and may not be considered as results fore casts or as any
other type of performance indicators.
This information is by nature subject to risks and uncertainties which are
difficult to foresee and are usually beyond the Company's control, which may
imply that expected results and developments differ significantly from announced
trends and targets. These risks notably include those described in the Company's
Registration Document, which is available on its website at
www.groupe-seche.com. This information there fore does not reflect the Company's
future performances, which may differ significantly therefrom, and no guarantees
can be given regarding the achievement of any provisional figures. The Company
makes no commitment on the updating of this information. More comprehensive
information on the Company may be obtained in the Documentation section of its
website at www.groupe.seche.com. This press release represents neither an offer
of shares nor a solicitation in view of an offer of shares in any country
whatsoever, including the United States. Distribution of this press release may
be subject to the laws and regulations in force in France or abroad. Persons in
possession of this press release must be aware of these restrictions and observe
them.

Registered office: Les Hêtres - BP 20 - 53811 Changé Cedex

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