BP: Multi-million pound project to improve sustainability and efficiency of Russian oil industry is given green light

The Skolkovo Foundation has given official approval for the establishment of a Center of Applied Research on Energy efficient Heat Exchange and Catalysis (Project 'UNIHEAT'), involving Imperial College London, the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis and BP. Researchers at the Center will run the UNIHEAT project, which will focus on increasing energy efficiency and reducing heat loss in oil refining by up to 15% by improving refining operations, enhancing oil production processes, and reducing CO2emissions. The Center will be funded by the Skolkovo Foundation and BP Russia.
Mr Viktor Vekselberg, President of the Skolkovo Foundation, said: 'It is hard to imagine a more vivid example of efficient cooperation between business and science than the Center of applied research that we are establishing. This success is possible because of a close cooperation of global leaders in research on heat exchange and catalysis processes - Imperial College London and Boreskov Institute of Catalysis - with active involvement from British Petroleum. I am sure that we will be able to evaluate the results of the Center in the not too distant future, which may lead to a significant decrease of energy losses in oil and gas refining.'

Mr David Peattie, Head of BP Russia, added: 'We are delighted to be involved with this very important research programme. Improving heat exchange technology is really important for the environmental efficiency of the oil processing industry. We are very pleased to team up with Skolkovo to fund Boreskov and Imperial, two of the world's leading research institutes in this key research programme.'

Professor Sandro Macchietto, Chair of the UNIHEAT Steering Committee and Joint Project Director, from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London, said: 'Imperial has a strong track record of working with industry around the world to find innovative solutions to make the refining process more efficient and sustain able. This is one of the first projects of this kind in Russia to kick off. We hope it will lead to real efficiencies in the sector and help us to make the refining process as environmentally friendly as possible.'