With the creation of this new space, RCGI will have a research hub in Europe, gaining expansion for international partnerships.

USP Journal – With information from the Shell and RCGI Communication Offices

Professor Julio Meneghini and the rector Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior hold the plaque of the new RCGI office. Next to them, the Minister of Economy and Climate Policy of the Netherlands, Micky Adriaansens (in a blue suit), as well as representatives from the Dutch government and Shell – Photo: RCGI Press Release.

USP will have an office of the Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RCGI) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The creation of the office at the Energy Transition Campus (ETCA) is the result of a partnership between the University and Shell. With entry into this new space, RCGI gains a research hub in Europe, expanding opportunities for international partnerships.

USP and Shell signed a collaboration agreement on February 5th in the Netherlands. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Economy and Climate Policy of the Netherlands, Micky Adriaansens; the rector of USP, Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior; the scientific director of RCGI, Julio Meneghini; the Executive Vice President of Technology at Shell Group, Yuri Sebregts; and the Director of Human Resources and Institutional Communication at RCGI, Karen Mascarenhas.

ETCA is an innovative collaborative space located in the same region as Shell’s technology center. It is a state-of-the-art sustainable building that reflects the common ambition to offer innovative solutions for the energy transition. Currently, more than 20 innovation companies are associated with ETCA, with access to coworking, events, services, and laboratories designed to scale sustainable technologies.

“This is an excellent opportunity for internationalization for USP, and the presence of the Minister of Economy and Climate Policy of the Netherlands reflects the appreciation that the Dutch government gives to the initiative. Our researchers will be able to strengthen relationships with companies related to the energy transition and with different Dutch universities. Another possibility will be access to European research funds. I congratulate RCGI for the initiative,” said the rector of USP, Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior, at the signing ceremony.

For the scientific director of RCGI, Julio Meneghini, “the office at ETCA will enable us to present the technologies developed at RCGI to the European community, as well as to conduct research prospecting in related areas. The idea is to always have at least one professor involved with RCGI projects at ETCA. The office will also function, in a more comprehensive way, as a base for USP to prospect new project possibilities with universities and companies.”

The General Manager of Technology and Innovation at Shell Brasil, Olivier Wambersie, emphasized that “international collaboration opens opportunities for Dutch and European companies and research institutions to interact with RCGI. ETCA is the right ecosystem to connect with bright minds and build new synergies. This step reflects the maturity of our partnership of almost ten years with USP. The intense technological exchange through our research and development projects and the delivery of results allow us to face the greatest energy challenge the world faces today.

Successful Partnership

(From left to right) The rector Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior, professor Julio Meneghini, and the Executive Vice President of Technology at Shell Group, Yuri Sebregts – Photo: RCGI Press Release.

Shell Brasil and the São Paulo Research Foundation (Fapesp) have already invested around R$ 270 million in over 80 research and innovation projects at the center, focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The RCGI comprises seven programs: NBS (Nature Based Solutions), CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilization), BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage), GHG (Greenhouse Gases), Advocacy, Innovation Power Systems, and Decarbonization. These programs anchor around 80 research projects. With over 600 researchers, it maintains collaborations with other energy companies and various institutions such as Oxford, Imperial College, Princeton, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), as well as long-term projects with research centers in the United States through the Center 2 Center (C2C) initiative, funded by Fapesp and the National Science Foundation.

Last November, the University Council of USP approved a new configuration for the RCGI, which became a research center linked to the Rectorate, allowing for the complementation of the University’s experiences in supporting scientific research and technological development regarding the sustainable use of natural gas, biogas, hydrogen, CO2 management, transportation, storage, and use, focusing on innovation for sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions mitigation.

In August, RCGI announced the first experimental renewable hydrogen refueling station from ethanol, which will be installed at the University City. The experimental station is expected to be operational in the second semester of 2024 to refuel buses provided by the Metropolitan Company of Urban Transport of São Paulo (EMTU) and also a Mirai vehicle provided by Toyota Brazil, to test the performance of hydrogen.