A\Sense, a national leader in perimeter defense with optical sensing technology, was one of the 21 startups approved in NAVE – the Entrepreneurship Program of the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP). The company submitted a project focused on the simultaneous measurement and monitoring of methane and carbon dioxide, two of the main greenhouse gases emitted by the oil and gas (O&G) industry.

During the Kickoff Meeting with Selected Startups, “Warm Up NAVE,” held on August 11 in Rio de Janeiro, A\Sense’s Technology Director, Victor Diago, stated that winning the challenge promoted by ANP reinforces Brazil’s strong development potential in the field of photonics and high technology. 

“Being selected in a public call such as NAVE reinforces the capability of our technology and demonstrates our competence in presenting and executing innovative projects. It is an important achievement for the country, as this is a national technology, developed internally, that directly contributes to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the use of photonics,” said Diago.

The ANP event, in partnership with the Brazilian Petroleum and Gas Institute (IBP), brought together the approved startups for contract signing and an integration dynamic with the sponsoring companies that provided resources to the program. The initiative promoted project presentations and alignment of expectations between entrepreneurs, the market, and the Agency itself.

The ANP Entrepreneurship Program aims to foster open innovation and entrepreneurship in the energy sector, using Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I) resources from oil and gas exploration and production contracts.

In this edition, NAVE addressed 67 technology challenges supported by nine major energy companies, including Petrobras, Shell, ExxonMobil, Petrogal Brasil, TotalEnergies, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Equinor, Repsol Sinopec, and CNOOC. The Brazilian Petroleum and Gas Institute (IBP) acts as the program’s administrative and financial manager.

More accurate emissions reduction

The selected challenge in this edition involves the development of intelligent carbon MRV systems (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification), one of the key pillars for companies in the sector to quantify and reduce their emissions with greater accuracy, in line with global decarbonization commitments.

The program received more than 331 R&D&I projects aimed at solving technology challenges in the energy sector. Only 21 projects were approved for contracting, based on technical criteria and alignment with the proposed challenges. The final result was announced in early July this year.

According to Marcos Sanches, Innovation Coordinator at A\Sense, the company’s technology is strategic for driving Brazil’s energy transition. “For Brazil, it is important that national startups take the lead in critical projects for the energy transition. Our technology is 100% Brazilian, developed with local capital and teams. This strengthens national innovation capacity and technological autonomy.”

Gas detection through optical sensing

The sensor works by capturing the molecular-level “fingerprint” of gases, allowing their presence to be identified, qualified, and quantified in real time through a unique automated platform. The entire process is carried out securely within the system, without any electrical or electronic devices in the field.

A\Sense’s Technology Director, Victor Diago, highlighted the challenge and the advantages of the technology: “This is an important milestone for the oil and gas industry, which can now rely on a solution that combines high effectiveness with an affordable cost compared to the official method currently used worldwide for methane monitoring. The benefits of the gas detector go far beyond positive financial impact and also enhance the safety of O&G platforms.”

Sanches also recalled that the award-winning solution is an evolution of the methane detection technology for industrial environments already developed in partnership with Petrobras in 2020, through the second edition of the Petrobras Innovation Connections Technology Challenge. 

“We competed against several high-tech companies, and our disruptive project for precise methane detection using optical sensors was the only one approved in the Carbon Reduction vertical that year. It was tested, approved, and certified for immediate application in the O&G sector. The project has proven to be a successful and far-reaching technology, with the potential to benefit other industries as well,” Sanches concluded.