Coppe teams win ANP Award 2025
Planeta COPPE / Civil Engineering / Institutional News / Metallurgical and Materials Engineering / News
Date: 09/12/2025

Coppe/UFRJ once again demonstrated why it is one of the greatest forces in Brazilian science and technology. The institution shone in the final of the 2025 ANP Technological Innovation Award with two award-winning projects: the Robot for Catalyst Tube Inspection (CTAs) project, from the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Program (PEMM), awarded in Category II, and the Digital Twin of Submarine Flexible Pipelines, from the Civil Engineering Program (PEC), awarded in Category VI. Both reinforce a powerful message: when universities, laboratories and industry work together, Brazilian research advances.
The ANP Award recognizes R&D projects that represent technological innovation of direct interest to the energy sector, developed in Brazil by accredited research institutions and/or national companies. To compete, the initiatives must have been carried out in collaboration with oil companies, using resources from the R&D Clause, provided for in oil and gas exploration and production contracts.
Check out the complete teams that were awarded:
Category II – Robot for inspecting catalyst tubes (CTAs) in steam reforming furnaces project

Developed at the Laboratory for Non-Destructive Testing, Corrosion and Welding (LNDC), in partnership with Petrobras and coordinated by Professor Gabriela Ribeiro Pereira, the project created a robot equipped with laser distance sensors capable of predicting the lifespan of catalyst tubes used in steam reforming furnaces for hydrogen production. This innovation has a direct impact on the operational reliability of the industry and the safety of the facilities.
- Professor Gabriela Ribeiro Pereira (LNDC/PEMM – project coordinator)
- Professor Cesar Giron Camerini (LNDC/PEMM)
- Professor Luiz Henrique de Almeida (PropMec/PEMM)
- Doctorate student Ana Carolina Pereira Soares Brandão (LNDC/PEMM)
- Researcher Iane de Araújo Soares (LNDC/PEMM)
- Researcher Juan Gerardo Castillo Alva (LNDC/PEMM)
- Doctorate student Lucas Braga Campos (LNDC/PEMM)
- Research technician Lucas Maciel Coelho da Silva (LNDC/PEMM)
- Researcher Marcella Grosso Lima (LNDC/PEMM)
Category VI — Digital Twin of Submarine Flexible Pipelines

Conducted at the Offshore Structures Analysis and Reliability Laboratory (Laceo), in partnership with Petrobras and the CESA innovation center, the project developed an advanced system for managing the integrity of the country’s vast network of submarine pipelines. Coordinated by Professor Luís Volnei Sagrilo, the laboratory group created the FLEXBOARD platform, which integrates real-time data with advanced engineering methods to continuously assess pipeline lifespan and issue critical alerts. A significant leap forward for the safety and efficiency of the oil and gas industry.
- Professor Luís Volnei Sudati Sagrilo (Laceo/PEC)
- Senior researcher Marcos Queija de Siqueira (Laceo/PEC)
- Senior researcher José Renato Mendes de Sousa (Laceo/PEC)
- Senior researcher Fernando Jorge Mendes de Sousa (Laceo/PEC)
- Senior researcher Thiago Angelo Goncalves de Lacerda (Laceo/PEC)
- Innovation


















