IChemE Global Awards 2014 shortlists announced

The shortlists for the IChemE Global Awards 2014 have been announced with over 70 entries in 15 categories making the final stages of the awards which celebrate excellence, innovation and achievement in the chemical and process industries.

The Institution of Chemical Engineers’ (IChemE) awards attract interest from all over the world and this year’s shortlists include entries from China, Malaysia, India, Italy, Egypt, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Nigeria, New Zealand, Singapore, The Netherlands, UK and the USA.

Some of the successful entries include major organisations and institutions from industry and academia such as BP, Monash University, Cargill, National University of Singapore, Huntsman Pigments, E.ON, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, AstraZeneca, Imperial College London and United Utilities.

The winners will be announced at the IChemE Global Awards, in association with Saudi Aramco, on 6 November 2014 at Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire, UK.

The event is being hosted by newsreader and TV personality, Kate Silverton, who will be joined by over 500 guests. 

Kate will also announce the overall Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemical and Process Engineering won last year by Queen’s University Ionic Liquid Laboratories Research Centre (QUILL), in partnership with PETRONAS, for their gas clean-up technology.

The ceremony in Cheltenham is just one of several global events organised by IChemE to celebrate the achievements of the chemical engineering profession. Other events include the  IChemE Singapore Awards (16 October 2014) and the IChemE Malaysia Awards (20 October 2014).

IChemE deputy chief executive, Justin Blades, said: 'We have received a fantastic set of entries this year and all the judges would like to thank the individuals and organisations that have taken the time to support the awards once again and submit their impressive applications. 

“There can be no better feeling than to receive an award from your peers and we believe this is what makes the IChemE Awards so special and sought after across the world.

“I would also like to thank the judges for their hard work, expertise and knowledge. Each year we receive an ever growing and diverse range of applications and all of the judges work incredibly hard to assess each entry in detail. 

“Our sponsors and I all look forward to seeing you at the awards ceremony for another fantastic evening showcasing the talent and success in the chemical and process industries”.

Official shortlists for the IChemE Awards 2014

Education and Training Award sponsored by Costain

• ‘Embedding sustainability into chemical engineering degrees’: James Cook University – Australia.
• 'Helping young people into engineering': PM Group – UK.
• ‘PowerPoint laid to rest by Jenga’: BP Exploration Company – UK.
• ‘Once bitten twice shy’: BP European Acetyls Hull Site – UK.
• ‘Public participation for sustainable growth’: Monash University Malaysia – Malaysia.
• ‘New quality risk assessment methodology’: AstraZeneca – UK.

Young Chemical Engineer in Industry Award sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline

• Kevin Gibson, process engineer, PM Group – Ireland.
• Ciara O'Keeffe O'Donovan, industrial placement student, Cargill – UK.
• Ijeoma Ifedi, senior process engineer, Costain – UK.
• Alexandra Smeathers, manufacturing engineer, Cristal Pigment UK Ltd – UK.
• Kirsty Donovan, graduate process engineer, Sellafield Ltd – UK.

Young Chemical Engineer in Academia Award sponsored by Bouygues Energies & Services

• Koppineni Praneeth, PhD research scholar, RMIT University – Australia.
• Daniele Castello, post-doctoral fellow, University of Trento – Italy.
• Paul Shearing, senior lecturer in chemical engineering, UCL Chemical Engineering – UK.
• Patrizia Marchetti, research associate, Imperial College London – UK.
• Jakob Burger, assistant professor, University of Kaiserslautern – Germany.
• Anna Nakano (Semykina), post-doctoral researcher, National Energy Technology Laboratory (USDOE) – USA.

Innovator of the Year Award sponsored by NES Global Talent

• Junwang Tang, reader / associate professor in energy, University College London – UK.
• Adrian Finn, process technology manager, Costain – UK.
• S. Sridhar, principal scientist, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT) – India.
• Gangagni Rao Anupoju, senior principal scientist, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT) – India.

Bioprocessing Award sponsored by Newcastle University

• ‘Wairakei Bioreactor’: Beca Ltd and Contact Energy Ltd – New Zealand.
• ‘Single-use final filling of drug products’: FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies – UK.
• ‘From fish waste to valuable chemicals’:  The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) – UK.
• ‘Sustainable ethanol production through yield improvements’: Cargill Manchester – UK.
• ‘MCC: a step into the future’: FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies – UK.
• ‘BP Hummingbird (bio)ethanol to ethylene process’:  BP – UK.

Chemical Engineering Project of the Year Award sponsored by Sellafield Ltd

• ‘Greenergy Plymouth tank farm upgrade’: Greenergy Terminals Limited – UK.
• ‘Fast tracking excellence in China’: AstraZeneca; Cockram Project Limited; NNE Pharmaplan – China.
• ‘Nitrogen for enhanced gas recovery’:  Air Products Plc; Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij BV (NAM) – UK/The Netherlands.
• ‘MCC: a step into the future’: FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies – UK.
• ‘No to overflow’: BP Australia; WorleyParsons; MNS (Telstra) Team - Denver; Sage Automation – Australia.
• ‘Improved ore yield in pigment manufacture’: Huntsman Pigments, Greatham – UK.
• ‘BP Hummingbird (bio)ethanol to ethylene process’:  BP – UK.

Energy Award sponsored by PM Group

• ‘GWE chok chai starch raptor’: Global Water Engineering – Hong Kong, China.
• ‘Towards intelligent windows and roofs’: University at Buffalo; Texas A&M University – USA.
• ‘Nitrogen for enhanced gas recovery’:  Air Products Plc; Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij BV (NAM) – UK/The Netherlands.
• ‘Foamed cement research for safer drilling’: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) – USA.
• ‘Chinook’s innovative RODECS® technology’: Chinook Sciences Ltd – UK.
• ‘Greener fuel’: London South Bank University – UK.

Nuclear Creativity Award sponsored by Rolls-Royce

• ‘Dust scrubber rebuild safeguards environmental protection‘: Sellafield Ltd; National Nuclear Laboratory; De Detrich Process Systems Ltd – UK.
• ‘Thermal imaging for radioactive material characterisation’: National Nuclear Laboratory; Sellafield Ltd – UK.
• ‘Decommissioning and radioactive waste management’: Costain; Tetronics International – UK.
• ‘Multi-strand approach to nuclear waste fluidity’: Sellafield Ltd – UK.

Sustainable Technology Award sponsored by ABB Consulting

• ‘Sustainable and efficient rare earth separation’: Xiamen Institute of Rare Earth Materials – China.
• ‘Innovative membrane catalytic reactor’: National Council of Research (CNR ITAE) – Italy.
• ‘From fish waste to valuable chemicals’:  The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) – UK.
• ‘Biodiesel from waste oils’: Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies – UK.
• ‘Chinook’s innovative RODECS® technology’: Chinook Sciences Ltd – UK.
• ‘Integrated distributed energy application software (IDEAS)’: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia – Malaysia.

Water Management and Supply Award sponsored by Genesis Oil and Gas

• ‘Clay-papaya combo adsorbent for water treatment’: Redeemer's University – Nigeria.
• ‘Industrial and societal development through membranes’: Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT) – India.
• ‘Innovative modular steel rapid gravity filters’: United Utilities; KMI Plus – UK.
• ‘Membrane for selective metal sequestration’: National University of Singapore – Singapore.
• ‘Water purification for life sustainability’: Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology – Egypt.

Core Chemical Engineering Award sponsored by Simon Carves Engineering

• ‘Nitrogen rejection for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery‘: Costain – UK.
• ‘HTHP density measurement and EOS development’: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) – USA.
• ‘Modular on-site cyanide production unit’: Synergen Met Pty Ltd; University of Queensland – Australia.
• ‘Decision support for sustainable process design’: BASF SE; Fraunhofer-Institut für Techno- und Wirtschaftsmathematik Kaiserslautern (ITWM); Laboratory of Engineering Thermodynamics, University of Kaiserslautern.
• ‘Costain process safety management framework’: Costain – UK.
• ‘Solid deposition treatment technology’: PETRONAS – Malaysia.
• ‘Improved ore yield in pigment manufacture’: Huntsman Pigments, Greatham – UK.

Process Safety Award sponsored by Shell

• ‘Bringing new life to process safety’: E.ON Global Unit Generation; CGE Risk Management Solutions B.V. – UK/The Netherlands.
• ‘Liquid carryover and low temperature protection’: Maersk Oil Kazakhstan GmbH – Kazakhstan.
• ‘Once bitten twice shy’: BP European Acetyls Hull Site – UK.
• ‘No to overflow’: BP Australia; WorleyParsons; MNS (Telstra) Team - Denver; Sage Automation – Australia.
• ‘Foamed cement research for safer drilling’: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) – USA.
• ‘Process safety continuous improvement’: Cristal Pigment UK Ltd – UK.

Innovative Product of the Year Award sponsored by AstraZeneca

• ‘Upp personal energy device’: Intelligent Energy – UK.
• ‘Innovative membrane catalytic reactor’: National Council of Research (CNR ITAE) – Italy.
• ‘Noctura 400® Sleep Mask’: PolyPhotonix Ltd; The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) – UK.
• ‘Perfume microcapsules in detergents’: University of Birmingham; Procter & Gamble – UK/Belgium.
• ‘Single-use final filling of drug products’: FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies – UK.
• ‘Solid oxide fuel cell nano-electrocatalysts’: U.S. Department of Energy – USA.
• ‘Membrane for selective metal sequestration’: National University of Singapore – Singapore.

The Dhirubhai Ambani Award for Outstanding Chemical Engineering Innovation for the Resource-Poor People sponsored by Reliance Industries

• ‘Clay-papaya combo adsorbent for water treatment’: Redeemer's University – Nigeria. 
• ‘Towards intelligent windows and roofs’: University at Buffalo; Texas A&M University – USA.