Innovation

The company's innovation is the use of abandoned oily sludge from the exploitation of oil, which has been shaped and baked into bricks for use in building structures. The research team made bricks with oily sludge through a series of processes including initial planning, experimentation, demonstration, environmental assessment, safety assessment, design and manufacturing machinery, production and application. Negative impacts can be minimized or eliminated by implementing appropriate waste disposal programs (Rocca and Viberti, 2013). "This innovation not only solves the problem of long-term treatment and pollution of oily sludge, but also produces new building materials,” said Wang Yongzhi, deputy manager. For the construction industry, it also reduces the cost and pollution from traditional materials.

Inspiration

The treatment of oily sludge has been a major problem in the exploitation and treatment of petroleum. These wastes have no place to be stacked and pollute the environment. Reuse of oily sludge has been a long-term problem in the industry, and the research team combined the material with cement to make traditional building bricks. This can turn waste into valuable building materials.

Overall impact

This innovation solves the waste of oil extraction, protects the environment from pollution, and provides the construction industry with cheaper building materials. All the oily sludge produced in the company's production process is processed into building bricks and is used in various building structures. The absence of fines from the environmental sector for two consecutive years represents a positive impact on environmental issues. Moreover, there are obvious economic benefits.

Business benefit

The original oily sludge treatment cost was very high, and there was no value after processing. As a result, a lot of human and financial costs were lost. After the implementation of this innovation, the processing cost is saved, and brings the business more than ¥75 million revenue per year. Additionally, the processed oily sludge bricks are used in the relevant construction industry to create more economic value.

Social and environmental benefit

The innovation of this company achieves goals 9 and 12 of Sustainable Development Goals: industry, innovation and infrastructure; and responsible consumption and production. The reuse of oily sludge is beneficial to the sustainable development of the petroleum industry. Oil-containing sludge bricks are used as a new building material in the construction industry, which also reduces the production of traditional building materials and reduces the pollution caused by traditional materials.

This innovation has a strong positive impact on the environment. In the short term, the reuse of waste greatly reduces the pollution of sludge to soil and groundwater resources. "In the long run, oily sludge bricks reduce the burning of traditional building materials, red bricks, and decrease the traditional cost for more than ¥1300 million per year in the industry and reduce the source of atmospheric pollution,” Wang noted.

References:

Rocca, V. and Viberti, D. (2013). ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF OIL INDUSTRY. American Journal of Environmental Sciences, 9(3), pp.210-217.

Interview

Wang Yongzhi, Deputy Manager