Vallourec celebrates 10 years of the Jeceaba unit opening

Considered one of the most modern seamless steel tube mills in the world, the steel mill is responsible for generating thousands of jobs

09/15/2021

Event

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Prime location, with easy access by highway and railway to the ports of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Santos (SP) and Vitória (ES), and close to the main raw material subsidiaries of Vallourec. These were aspects that led to the choice of Jeceaba/MG to host the implementation of one of the most modern steel mills in the global market in terms of production of seamless steel pipes for the oil and gas sector. The installation of Vallourec Soluções Tubulares do Brasil (VSB) in the Jeceaba unit, which celebrates ten years of its opening this September, has contributed significantly to regional development and represented a great advance for the Brazilian industrial sector.

Over these ten years, we have learned a lot from our employees, families, partners and the community. With dialogue as an ally, the people shared with us their customs, desires and riches, welcoming us with open arms and, with willingness and confidence, we built our plant together. In return, we have brought new life prospects to the region. Investments, jobs, and sustainable development came along with the project. We can say that the Jeceaba unit established an innovative and leading era for industry in the state of Minas Gerais.

Alexandre Lyra

Senior Vice President of South America

With this in mind, we prepared our team of engineers and technicians, who were predominantly from the state, to use this state-of-the-art technology in the unit. Today, these professionals are protagonists in the digital transformation of the entire Vallourec Group, including in Europe, China and the United States”, says Senior Vice President of South America at Vallourec, Alexandre Lyra.

History

On 7 July 2007, a ceremony set the beginning of the plant’s construction with the launching of the Foundation Stone. It took four years of work, which resulted in the generation of more than 11,000 jobs at the peak of the works.
The inauguration of VSB – which, at the time, was called Vallourec & Sumitomo Tubos do Brasil and it was the result of a partnership between the French group Vallourec and the Japanese Sumitomo Metals – was eagerly awaited and publicised. The event took place on 1 September 2011 and brought together employees, managers of the Vallourec and Sumitomo groups, authorities, and representatives of the local community.

Sustainable Development

Since the beginning, VSB has sought to carry out actions based on sustainable development, monitoring the possible environmental impacts of its installation, and paying attention to the environmental obligations required by regulatory bodies. And to reinforce the principles of ethics, justice, appreciation of life, collective well-being, respect for people, dialogue and commitment, the company created, in 2009, an Environmental Education Program (PEA) strengthening these values, which can be clearly seen in VSB’s relationship with the communities where it operates.

The creation of the Reference Centre for Revegetation of the Atlantic Forest in Jeceaba was also an advance in the environmental context. The initiative, unprecedented in the country, recomposes an area of 660 hectares of native species. The Centre monitors the development of the seedlings grown, periodically qualifying the evolution of the biodiversity of the fauna and flora, as well as the biomass and carbon stored.

With the community, in addition to the focus on hiring local labour and professional training of residents, VSB works for the development of the cities through agreements signed with public authorities on the environment, health and safety. “We believe that sustainable development is an essential pillar for generating value for Vallourec, and also for society as a whole,” says Alexandre Lyra.