Petrobras defined a green model for the destination of platforms to be decommissioned. The expectation is that 26 other facilities will undergo the same process in the next five years and the company wants to become a global reference in green decommissioning, with a focus on sustainability, safety and care for people and the environment. Decommissioning is part of the life cycle of a production system and consists of a set of actions associated with the definitive interruption of the operations of a platform and related equipment, when opportunities for extension or maintenance of production are exhausted. The new policy will be applied as of this year for the allocation of all Petrobras' own floating rigs scheduled to be decommissioned, starting with the P-32, with production already interrupted. The P-32 is located in the Marlim field, in the Campos Basin, which is undergoing a revitalization process, with investments of US$18 billion.
“The work, carried out throughout 2022, sought to ensure the application of environmental and human rights rules throughout the entire supply chain, as well as to guarantee the proper final destination of materials arising from decommissioning, in line with the best practices in the industry and to the principles established in the UN's International Charter of Human Rights, with a focus on sustainability and the guarantee of a sustainable destination", says Production Development Project Executive Manager at Petrobras, Mariana Cavassin Paes.
The opportunities for improvement identified during the work resulted in the adoption of a Green Recycling Policy for vessels, which provides for:
- Implement actions to minimize waste generation, prevent impacts on biodiversity, as well as reuse equipment and encourage circular economy;
- Demand recycling in shipyards with dry docks or land made impermeable with a drainage system;
- Previously inventory existing material on the vessel in order to ensure suitable preparation of a recycling plan by the shipyard;
- Recycle the fleet of vessels safely, protecting the environment and people working in the recycling yards;
- Consider quality certificates, comply with requirements of European Union Ship Recycling Resolution n. 1257/2013 in the case of international shipyards and/or, in the case of Brazilian ones, the operating licenses and compliance with applicable legislation, rules and regulations on the environment, safety and health of workers, including management of subcontractors; and
- Act in accordance with commitments signed by Petrobras, including measures to control corruption and respect for internationally recognized human rights;
With this policy, the company expands its control over the recycling of its units, reinforcing guarantees that the associated actions take place in compliance with the best ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) practices of the global industry, with a focus on generating value, sustainability, safety and respect for people and the environment. Petrobras' strategic planning foresees an investment of US$ 9.8 billion in decommissioning activities in 2023-27.
