Waste Transformation: SLB’s Revolution for Sustainable Energy in the Cement Industry

SLB’s Joining the Zero Landfill Program Marks a Significant Milestone, Transforming Over 50 Tons of Conventional Waste into Viable Energy for the Cement Industry.

The quest to make waste selective collection more efficient led SLB to join the Zero Landfill Program. With the adoption of this project at the beginning of this year, none of the company’s waste has been sent to landfills. The implementation of an energy recovery technology transforms common waste, such as that generated from administrative areas and restrooms, into useful fuel for the cement industry. From January to April 2023, over 50 tons of this waste, which would have previously been sent to landfills, found a new purpose.

A Sustainable Leap: Waste Transformed into Energy

Nearly 490 tons of discarded materials, including oily sludge, wood, chemicals, rubber, and general waste, have been processed for energy recovery since the beginning of the year.

This initiative is an integral part of SLB’s Sustainability: Nature pillar, which focuses on the circular economy, encouraging selective collection and raising employee awareness for proper waste separation. SLB’s main bases in Macaé (RJ), the Integrated Operations Center in the Novo Cavaleiros neighborhood, and OneSubsea in Imboassica, which together employ about 1,400 staff, are involved in this project.

Zero Waste: A Sustainable Goal and a Corporate Commitment

Luciara Queiroz, Sustainability Manager at SLB Brazil, reports that during the second half of 2022, SLB evaluated the history of discarded waste and found that over 80% of the general waste collected by Transforma, the company responsible for the waste collection, was not recyclable and ended up being sent to landfills.

“Achieving zero waste is our goal, so it didn’t make sense to recycle only some waste while the majority was still being sent to landfills. We decided to invest resources to participate in the program, thus ensuring the total reuse of waste that is already properly separated and segregated at our bases,” explained Luciara.

Recycling and Energy: The Perfect Partnership

According to Kenia Faria, commercial manager at Transforma, about 16% of the general waste sent by SLB has recycling potential. For the non-recyclable portion, tests have been conducted to integrate them into the blending process for coprocessing in clinker kilns as energy recovery. Coprocessing partially replaces the fuel that feeds the flame of the kiln, which transforms limestone and clay into clinker, the raw material for cement.

The Importance of Gender Balance and Empowerment of the Local Community

This project aligns perfectly with SLB’s supplier management policies, human rights, and “Gender Balance.” Completing the virtuous cycle of the initiative, SLB encouraged the hiring of women from local communities to work at Transforma, where they were trained to segregate waste more efficiently.

Additionally, SLB is conducting training with its own employees to improve waste separation within the company. “Our goal is to generate the least amount of waste and make the most of what we cannot avoid,” concluded the Sustainability Manager of SLB Brazil.

By promoting gender equality, sustainability, employment, and local income generation, SLB’s initiative aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.