The New Energy Innovation Center has gained new momentum in its mission to improve energy production technologies using renewable sources and processes with a low carbon footprint. The agreement between the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) with FAPESP and Shell, which finances the center founded in 2018, has been renewed.
The agreement will allow the implementation of 15 new research and development projects over the next five years. The focus will be on making energy production technologies from renewable sources more efficient, economical and sustainable. Ana Flavia Nogueira, Director of CINE and Professor at the Chemistry Institute Unicamp, emphasized the importance of basic research as a basis for technological innovation, comparing it to the infrastructure of steel construction. “Progress in innovation depends on a strong foundation. With this agreement, we want not only to create new technologies, but also to strengthen national industry, which is essential for the country’s independence. Moreover, we aim to establish international partnerships to develop fundamental energy transformation technologies.
The researcher also celebrated the global impact of CINE, which, even with a weak team, stands out for its scientific excellence, such as more than 500 articles published globally. “We have sought to advance what we call the technology maturity level. We have made a lot of progress in the first phase of CINE and we want more.
“FAPESP is very pleased to renew its partnership with Shell and Unicamp in the New Energy Innovation Center. This is a central agenda for Brazil and São Paulo. There are many new topics in the issues of renewable energy generation and storage. We are on the verge of We are certain that CINE will repeat the success achieved in previous years.”
The President of Unicamp, António José de Almeida Meirelles, highlighted the importance of integrated actions for an efficient energy transition, and spoke about the historic opportunity for Brazil to lead this transition, given the abundance of renewable natural resources. Meirelles stressed that “Brazil has an essential role in the energy transition and CINE is ready to support the industry.” National Partnerships with companies, such as Shell, are essential for universities to effectively contribute to sustainability and develop technologies that enhance Brazil’s position on the global stage.
Representing the Dean of the University of the South Pacific, Professor at the São Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC-USP), Osvaldo Noves de Oliveira Junior, spoke about the exclusive capabilities of Brazilian public universities, emphasizing that many innovations are only possible due to collaboration and interdisciplinarity. The environment of these institutions. He also commented on the challenges facing innovation in Brazil, such as dependence on external inputs and technologies, which puts national security at risk. “We need to invest in science and technology not only to develop solutions, but to ensure the country’s independence in vital areas. Our big challenge is to produce synthetic fuels and other energy alternatives in a sustainable way, ensuring that the discoveries made here benefit Brazil and can Distribute it worldwide.
The new CINE projects will be divided into four interconnected research programs: power generation, advanced energy storage, green hydrogen, and computational materials design. Initially, the scientific team involved in the projects will consist of researchers associated with 11 Brazilian educational and research institutions. In this phase, R$82.4 million will be invested, of which R$62.4 million is financed by Shell, through a research item. Development and Innovation (RD&I) of the National Petroleum Agency (ANP). FAPESP will invest another R$20 million.
In the field of power generation, a solar project is emerging that uses innovative materials based on perovskite crystals, a cheaper raw material with a lower carbon footprint in its manufacture compared to crystalline silicon panels, which are widely applied today. The researchers intend to create prototypes to test in representative environments. “The big advantage of perovskite is cost. It’s hard to say how much cheaper it is compared to silicon, but initial projections represent roughly a third of the cost. Of course, when the material is actually on the market, it could be much less than that,” Nogueira explained.
Perovskites make it possible to fabricate flexible solar devices for applications on building facades, vehicle roofs, and even eyeglass lenses. However, the material shows rapid deterioration when exposed to moisture, oxygen and UV radiation. To increase their durability, CINE researchers have developed coatings and materials that convert ultraviolet rays into visible light, extending the useful life of solar cells.
Advanced energy storage software improves electrical energy storage technologies, with better performance and more reasonable cost. The goal is to use these technologies to store energy when there is a surplus and provide it when there is demand, thus compensating for the interruption of renewable energy sources. Therefore, it is very important to store this energy from the moments of greatest generation for later use. This is where batteries come in. “We studied, for example, lithium oxygen batteries and sodium batteries,” says the researcher.
In return, the Green Hydrogen Program will be dedicated to identifying innovative materials that will help reduce the costs of the main components of so-called electrolyzers, which is the equipment responsible for generating green hydrogen through the decomposition of water molecules. Researchers are also looking for opportunities to increase the efficiency of this equipment, and the Computational Materials Design area will rely on CINE’s computing and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to conduct feasibility analyzes of scenarios, and pre-evaluate the likelihood of success of certain development paths. For other programs, which shortens the path to success of the technology under analysis. “This is a spin-off. The idea is to use machine learning to improve the materials we produce, and perhaps to discover new materials. So, this division is very important, because it permeates and supports all the other divisions.”
