BP Algeria
Sector: Oil and gas
Equipment: Gobi 600 Food Waste Dryer
The backstory
Located in the heart of the Sahara Desert, the In Salah oilfield spans 2,000km² – making it one of the largest oil and gas fields in the world. In addition, the In Amenas wet gas project is also one of the biggest of its kind in Algeria, and involves the development and production of natural gas and gas liquids from fields in the Illizi Basin in the Southeast of the country.
Both projects were searching for a solution to treat their food waste safely at source – and the Tidy Planet team was happy to help…
The challenge
With the two sites being so large and each employing between 300-600 workers, dealing with food waste from the canteens was not easy.
Being located in the Sahara Desert, it’s not unusual for temperatures to reach over 40°C during a normal day and 50°C throughout the summer months – meaning any food waste that is stored on the premises is easily susceptible to putrefaction and can also attract vermin.
In addition to the scorching heat, being situated in such a remote area also meant that enlisting the service of a third-party waste collection and disposal company was difficult.
Therefore, it was pivotal that the solution would enable the sites to close the loop and treat their waste safely and effectively at source.
The solution
Two of our Gobi 600 Food Waste Dryers were recommended, in order to help the site effectively reduce its food waste and convert it into a dried, inert, odourless, and easy-to-store biomass resource.
The dehydrating process drastically reduces the volume of the site’s food waste – by up to 90% – which makes it an ideal solution for remote locations, where access for waste disposal vehicles is more difficult.
Also, the dried-out food waste is sanitised, thus enabling the oil and gas site to store it both easily and safely – without causing health and safety issues for workers. The dry foods no longer rot, smell, or attract vermin – and the site can store them for many months in lidded bins without any cause for concern.
The evaporated water, which is produced during the drying process, is condensed and can be used for land irrigation.
As a result of the two machine installations, transportation for disposal has also been minimised at the oilfields and, in an area of the world where security is tight, fewer vehicles means there are reduced security checks and associated risks.