Mini Green Power takes legal action against Suez, jeopardizing 25 jobs and a cutting-edge technology
The innovative SME Mini Green Power, a leading French company in waste valorization into low-carbon energy, announced on Friday, April 3, 2026 that it has initiated legal proceedings against Suez RV France. The lawsuit, filed in the Paris Commercial Court, comes after the abrupt termination of a strategic partnership regarding the construction of an industrial demonstrator in Narbonne. This decision, contested by the company, puts at risk its survival, 38 patents, and twenty-five highly skilled jobs.
A strategically terminated partnership
After twelve years of research and development, Mini Green Power had high hopes for its collaboration with Suez. The agreement, signed in 2024, included two major components: first, a contract in July for the construction of a demonstrator at a Suez site in Narbonne, followed in October by an exclusive commercial partnership. The latter involved Suez committing to a minimum purchase of five miniplants, with an anticipated turnover of 50 million euros.
While the demonstrator project was 90% completed, Suez notified the contract’s termination on November 14, 2025, effective from November 22. This rupture, deemed abusive by Mini Green Power, led the company to take legal action after several weeks of interrupted discussions, while still seeking an amicable solution.
Human and industrial consequences
This situation weakens a company that was just starting to recover from previous challenges. In September 2023, a fire in its workshop had resulted in being placed under judicial reorganization. The partnership with Suez was crucial for its recovery plan and future growth.
Today, 25 direct jobs – including engineers, technicians, and production staff – are at risk. Beyond the social impact, it’s the French technological expertise that is at stake. Mini Green Power is not just a startup; it holds a portfolio of 38 patents protecting a validated technology for waste transformation into low-carbon energy and biochar. Based in Hyères, Mini Green Power (www.minigreenpower.com) is a mission-driven company specializing in the design of small modular power plants.
“Time is running out, and we need to make this situation visible”
The founder and CEO of the SME, Jean Riondel, expresses his determination to save his company and assets.
“We had placed a decisive part of our development prospects in this partnership with Suez and the success of this demonstrator. Eighteen months after signing, we received a termination notice that we contest and claim has caused us great difficulty. We had no choice but to take legal action. But what I want people to focus on are the facts: 25 jobs are now at stake. We have a validated technology, 38 patents, an almost completed demonstrator, and a real commercial pipeline. These assets have value. We have not given up on an amicable solution. But time is running out, and today we need to make this situation visible,” he alerts in a statement.
An issue beyond a commercial dispute
The case of Mini Green Power against Suez raises, according to the SME, questions of public interest. It questions the dynamics of the relationship between large corporations and innovative SMEs, essential links in the energy transition supported by the government. The vulnerability of these entities to unilateral decisions highlights the risks to the French industrial ecosystem and the preservation of skilled jobs in the territories.
To showcase its project, the company has released several videos, including a presentation of the Narbonne power plant (https://youtu.be/4df5qXbYRH4) and a report on its team and facilities (https://youtu.be/F9QRquz43LM).
