BP Indonesia
Sector: Oil and gas
Equipment: Two B2500 Rocket Composters and Dehydra Dewaterer
The backstory
Multinational oil and gas giant, BP’s $12 billion Tangguh gas pipeline expansion project entails the creation of a third liquefied natural gas (LNG) process train, in the remote province of Papua Barat, Indonesia.
The 20-year development will play a significant role in the supply of the growing Indonesian energy demand – with 75% of the new train’s gas production already being sold to the country’s state electric company.
And as well as providing significant fuel and energy production, other more localised social and economic benefits are associated with the growth of the plant – including the electrification of the surrounding area, the provision of schools, and much needed employment.
The challenge
The project has created thousands of jobs for local workers over the period of the expansion – with the accommodation blocks housing up to 13,000 workers at any one time. The site is a micro municipality, with sports facilities, training centres, its own mini airport and, of course, its own waste.
With so many people working at the plant, it’s no surprise that the workers’ canteens generate high volumes of food waste. Therefore, the global oil firm wanted an on-site solution that would enable it to deal with its food waste at source
With the project being situated in one of the most remote and isolated locations in the world however, waste infrastructure is non-existent. As a result, the LNG plant has to run its own Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) to manage everything from waste metals, plastics, wood, and food, via the most sustainable method possible.
As well as seeking a solution which could cope with the large amounts of organic wastage, the firm also wanted to be able to remediate the project’s surrounding lands.
The solution
For equipment able to deal with commercial-scale food waste of this magnitude, we provided two 10m x 4m B2500 in-vessel composting systems and a Dehydra Dewaterer, that are able to process up to five tonnes of material per day.
In addition to the composting and dewatering equipment, we also worked with other British machinery manufacturers to provide a plethora of waste handling equipment – such as shredders and balers.
The dewatering process decreases the moisture content within the food waste – reducing it by up to 80% in volume and its weight by 50%. The resulting feedstock can then be fed into the Rocket Composter, which then generate a nutritious compost resource, in just 14 days.
The compost is then used for land remediation purposes – helping to rejuvenate the surrounding area and restore soil health. With tsunamis an ever-prevalent threat, the land around the plant has been carved flat and devoid of trees – meaning soil structure has been damaged. Therefore, having a supplement for the land to help increase structure, reduce erosion, and eliminate off-site disposal is an ideal solution for the oil and gas firm.
Not only does the industrial composting equipment assist the IWMF in processing the vast volumes of food waste, but it also creates jobs for local people – including pickers, machinery operatives, and maintenance experts.
The oil and gas industry is one we know well here at Tidy Planet, and it’s great to be working with some of the planet’s biggest players in this arena, to help them implement sustainable waste management practices – no matter where they are in the world.