From the pre-salt layer to renewables: Coppe expands technological cooperation with Chinese universities

On August 11, Coppe/UFRJ welcomed professors from North China University of Technology (NCUT) and the Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology (BIPT) for a series of scientific and technological exchange activities in areas strategic to the energy and oil sectors. The visit provided an opportunity to showcase expertise developed at Coppe and, at the same time, to learn about the technologies and research areas of the Chinese institutions, thereby expanding opportunities for cooperation between universities in both countries.

The delegation toured projects and laboratories dedicated to topics such as ocean renewable energy, underwater technology, well engineering, and the characterization of fluid dynamics using fiber optics, as well as facilities for full-scale simulation of oil well operations.

Professor Átila Freire, from the Mechanical Engineering Program (PEM), presented the Interdisciplinary Center for Fluid Dynamics (NIDF), which brings together seven high-tech laboratories. The center conducts research related to multiphase and high-pressure flows, enhanced oil recovery (EOR), CO₂ measurements under supercritical conditions, and technologies for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), among other topics of interest to the energy industry.

In the Ocean Engineering Program (PEnO), Professor Milad Shadman presented the portfolio of the Ocean Renewable Energy Group (Gero), which brings together research on floating offshore wind, wave energy, floating solar energy, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), offshore hydrogen production from renewable sources, and hybrid power generation systems.

The group also develops digital twins of floating offshore wind turbines. According to Milad, Gero’s experience includes projects developed in partnership with foreign companies and universities, including TotalEnergies, CNOOC, China University of Petroleum (CUP), Tsinghua University, and Ocean University of China. These collaborations have already resulted in innovation, patents, and 18 articles published in high-impact scientific journals.

The delegation also learned about the expertise of the Underwater Technology Laboratory (LTS), presented by Professor Ilson Paranhos, and toured the facilities of the recently inaugurated Well Technology Center (NTP). Research topics include the decommissioning of subsea structures, the integrity of pipelines and umbilical cables, and the development of systems for detecting subsea anomalies, as well as studies on the behavior of equipment under extreme conditions.

Complementary competencies 

The visit also provided an opportunity for Chinese researchers to present their own research and technologies. According to NCUT Vice President Professor Jiaqing Chen, the complementarity between Brazilian and Chinese expertise creates opportunities for broader cooperation.

“Brazil is home to the world’s largest deepwater and pre-salt oil fields, and it also has enormous potential in renewable energy, including wind and solar power. China, in turn, has strong advantages in energy development technologies and in the design and manufacture of green equipment. Looking ahead, we must integrate the complementary expertise of a greater number of institutions, including universities, with the aim of fostering an ecosystem of cooperation,” he said.

Chen presented the work of his research group, which is dedicated to developing high-efficiency separation technologies and equipment for multiphase flows. This topic is gaining importance as offshore oil fields move into more mature stages of production, increasing the amount of water produced along with the oil.

According to the researcher, advanced oil recovery techniques can make oil-water emulsions even more complex, complicating the operation of three-phase separators and electrostatic dewaterers. Among the challenges are increasing separation efficiency, reducing the use of chemicals and the space occupied by equipment, and, consequently, lowering operating costs.

Professor Yipeng Ji of BIPT presented a technology developed and tested in China to address this type of challenge. The Tubular Electrostatic Coalescer (TEC) can be installed upstream of a three-phase separator or an electrostatic dewatering unit and, according to the researcher, has the potential to reduce heating temperature and chemical dosage, increase oil-water separation efficiency, and minimize the space occupied by the equipment.

The technology can be applied both to new projects (greenfield) and to the modernization of existing facilities (brownfield retrofit), expanding its potential for industrial application.

The presentation of Chinese technologies and the recognition of COPPE’s expertise reinforce the two-way nature of the cooperation. The collaboration between the groups can contribute not only to academic exchange but also to the development of technological solutions aimed at addressing concrete challenges in the energy industry, through an agenda that combines Brazilian expertise in offshore operations with China’s capacity to develop and manufacture technologies and equipment.