Environment
Preventing pollution, protecting biodiversity, limiting our use natural resources, making our equipment more efficient, reducing our CO2 emissions... Our teams worldwide are working to help build a sustainable and desirable future.
A recognized environmental approach
Ambitious Green House gas reduction program
Our targets were formally validated (“targets set”) by the Science-Based Targets initiative in May 2020, making Vallourec the first company in the oil/para-petroleum industry to obtain this recognition.
Our targets approved for 2025 are as follows, expressed with respect to 2017:
- reduce the fossil and biogenic carbon footprint of our industrial activities (Scopes 1 & 2) by 20% in absolute value;
- reduce our value chain from the purchase of raw materials (including steel) to the use and end of life of our products (Scopes 1, 2 & 3) by 25% in absolute value;
- to reduce the intensity (tons of CO2 per million euros of added value) of our purchases of raw materials, including steel, by 45%;
- and reduce our Scope 3 indirect emissions by 25% in absolute value, including our transportation and the use/end-of-life of our products in various markets.
In 2022, the Climate Challenge project was launched by the Climate Committee, with sponsorship from an Executive Committee member.
This represents a significant step forward in tackling climate imperatives through an ambitious cross-functional plan with top management support. It also covers implementation of a rigorous system for managing the Group’s carbon emissions. The project involves all operational and functional departments, with the common objective of actively contributing to a carbon-neutral world by 2050, through transformation of the Group’s supply and production processes, and diversification of its commercial offering.
Taking 2021 as the base year, Vallourec is now committed to two targets, for 2030 and 2035:
● 30% lower CO2e emissions per ton of tubes sold by 2030, corresponding to a carbon intensity of 1.4 ton CO2 per ton of tube shipped;
● 35% lower CO2e emissions per ton of tubes sold by 2035, corresponding to a carbon intensity of 1.3 ton CO2 per ton of tube shipped.
Enhanced industrial processes & footprint
Concrete results
A number of local assets in our various regions:
- Two electrical furnaces powered by low-carbon energies
- Using scrap metal to create steel
- In Brazil, Vallourec operates a 1,730 km2 (427,500 acres) forest estate:
– 64% of the surface is preserved in its natural state and the rest is cultivated to produce biomass charcoal and biogenic pig iron
– The eucalyptus trees absorb CO2, forming a giant carbon sink
Examples of initiatives
- 100% low-carbon electricity procurement
- 200,000 tons of CO2 prevented
- over 1.5 billion pounds of scrap steel annually recycled
- Since 2020, Youngstown’s FQM rolling has been collecting rainwater to reduce its drinking water consumption
- Partial substitution of natural gas by biomass charcoal
- 25,000 tons of CO2 prevented
VSB Barreiro
- 1,500 m3 tank to store process water and rainwater for later reuse
- 33,841m3 of water saved
- All the mill involved in energy consumption reduction (maintenance, production, method, VPA, supply chain…)
- In 2022, 190 tons of CO2 emissions have been avoided by adapting production phases as much as possible.
- Providing Tank Storage to collect rainwater for production activities
- Installation of connected electricity and gas meters to monitor energy consumption and reduce waste
- In 2018, more than 300 trees were placed on the site and more than 100 in the botanical garden. In 2020 and 2021, planting campaigns continued despite the pandemic.
Shrinking our environmental footprint even faster is a priority at every level of the Group. We owe that to our people, our customers, our partners, and future generations
