EPFL partnerships

GAZNAT CHAIRS AT EPFL

In order to develop innovative solutions, Gaznat signed an agreement with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) for the creation of two new professorships, which came into operation in spring 2015:

• Gaznat Chair of Carbon Chemistry (Advanced Separation): this chair studies ways of capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) at source and deriving value from its by-products.
• Gaznat Chair of Geo-Energy: this chair is dedicated to the study of underground storage and geo-energies.

Find more information in the following video describing Gaznat’s commitment to research (in French).

The research carried out under the aegis of these professorships will result in innovative technological and economic solutions in the areas of transportation, storage and the manufacture of by-products. 

"Storing CO₂ in the ground - a solution worth digging for" 

For Professor Lyesse Laloui, holder of the “Petrosvibri Chair of Natural Gas” at EPFL, burying CO₂ in the subsoil is THE solution.

New technologies have a key role to play in efforts to reduce climate impact. Sequestration in the subsoil, which is the only current technology capable of reducing the accumulation of CO₂ in the atmosphere, is particularly promising.

Click here to view the video created during the Exposure Science Film Hackathon 2016 on carbon capture storage (in French).

The task of this chair at EPFL is to capture at source the CO₂ produced by industrial activities and derive value from its by-products. In particular, it is necessary to study the chemistry of CO₂ in order to synthesise new molecules and enhance their value by turning them into a source of carbon for industry, liquid fuel or other by-products.

In the words of Prof. Paul J. Dyson, Director of the Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering at EPFL: “CO₂ isn’t a toxic discharge – it has an energy value.”