Case Study: Developing Waste Management Capability in Senegal

The Sangomar Project team recognised the challenges associated with managing waste in Senegal and so aimed to divert waste from the local landfill by developing local waste management capacity.

Woodside contracted a local waste management company, SEPCO Industries, to build a waste facility in Senegal’s capital city, Dakar, and dispose of waste from the Sangomar construction phase. The facility now includes designated waste storage areas, a high temperature incinerator, a water treatment plant, and waste shredders. SEPCO also refurbished a glass crusher, setting them up as one of the only glass recyclers in Dakar.

The Woodside and SEPCO teams applied a ‘One Team’ approach to identify and assess recycling and disposal methods for multiple waste streams from the Sangomar Development construction phase, while maintaining focus on the commitments to prioritise recycling, dispose of waste safely and divert waste from the local landfill. Woodside engineers contributed to local capacity building by upskilling SEPCO’s equipment operators and assisting with maintenance planning. The local SEPCO team also played a key role in engaging companies in the recycling network in Dakar and establishing sub-contractor arrangements to improve the recycling efficiency.

SEPCO have also implemented innovative ways to re-use unique waste types. For example, they have repurposed scrap equipment for their site construction and used treated water for the incinerator scrubber instead of consuming Dakar’s limited water supply. Waste oil was sent to a Dakar cement plant, which supported the plant’s initiative to use a mixture of waste oil and new diesel in their process.

The collaborative approach between Woodside and SEPCO has helped strengthen the local waste management industry and is delivering better waste management outcomes for the Sangomar Project. SEPCO’s facility can now provide waste management services for other companies in the region and their team continue to support the Sangomar Development by recycling and safely disposing of waste from the offshore operations.

Waste treatment facility in Dakar, Senegal.