Sustainable Decommissioning: a global challenge that places Brazil at the center of the debate
Planeta COPPE / Blue Economy / Industrial Engineering / Institutional News / Ocean Engineering / News
Date: 27/08/2025

The transition to a cleaner energy matrix requires strategic choices regarding the fate of the thousands of offshore oil and gas installations approaching the end of their useful life—a decision that involves science, economics and sustainability.
The sustainable decommissioning of these structures is not just a technical issue, but an environmental, economic and social imperative, with direct impacts on the global climate agenda and Brazil’s commitments to energy transition.
With this in mind, the Interdisciplinary Council for Sustainable Decommissioning (Conids), led by Coppe, will promote the 1st Scientific Symposium on Sustainable Decommissioning on September 16th and 17th.
More than just discussing technical solutions, the symposium will be a strategic space to align science, public policy and industry in building innovative pathways for sustainable decommissioning in Brazil. This approach is essential to reducing environmental impacts, promoting the circular economy, stimulating new businesses, and developing technological capabilities that keep the country competitive in the low-carbon economy.
Organized by the Subsea Technology Laboratory (LTS) and the Rogério Valle Center for Sustainable Production (Sage), both at Coppe, in partnership with UFRJ’s Polytechnic School and the State University of Northern Rio de Janeiro (UENF), the event will bring together experts, researchers, students, and public sector representatives for an interdisciplinary and interinstitutional exchange.
Coppe’s leadership on this topic is carried out through the Sustainable Decommissioning Research Group (Descom.Sub), coordinated by Professor Marcelo Igor (LTS), from the Ocean Engineering Program, and researcher Laurelena Palhano (Sage), from the Industrial Engineering Program.
The schedule includes thematic panels, roundtables, keynote lectures and workshops—both in-person and online—to present advances, challenges and opportunities for research, teaching and science outreach in this field. The meeting will be held at the Petroleum Exploration and Engineering Laboratory (Lenep) at UENF in Macaé. Registration is open on the symposium’s official website, which already has the full schedule available.
