On Tuesday (9), three of the six finalists presented their projects at the 1st edition of the Young Pipeline Awards, a competition that recognizes young professionals up to 35 years old who develop creative solutions for the industry. The award featured a trophy made possible by the sponsors of the Young Rio Pipeline Program, reinforcing the joint commitment to innovation and to empowering the new generation. The remaining finalists will present their work on Wednesday (10), and the winner will be announced on Thursday (11). In total, 570 projects were submitted in this edition.

Caroline Reis, an industrial chemist graduated from UFRJ, with a postgraduate degree in Pipeline Engineering from PUC-Rio and a logistics solutions specialist at NTS, presented the Saqgas project. It consists of a computational simulation study for the strategic replacement of inline chromatographs, with the potential to generate savings of approximately R$1 million per year in OPEX (considering the annual cost of R$50,000 per unit, excluding labor), in addition to significant CAPEX savings, since the commissioning of new equipment costs around R$1 million.

Demétrio Marques, a chemical engineer from UFMA, with a postgraduate degree in Industrial Process Engineering from PUC Minas and currently a pipeline integrity engineer at Hydro, presented a project focused on optimizing the methodology for slurry pipeline integrity management through the use of finite elements and rupture tests.

Narelly Matos, a chemical engineer from UFRJ, postgraduate student in Industrial Process Engineering at IPETEC, and member of the operational technical board at TAG in the project implementation area, presented a socially oriented project aimed at mitigating vulnerabilities in communities located around the company’s pipeline network.

The Young Pipeline Awards is just one of the initiatives of the Young Rio Pipeline Program, which offers an exclusive space with programming aimed at young audiences. Highlights include the participation of students without employment ties in the congress, ensuring access and learning opportunities for those taking their first steps in the industry. Another remarkable initiative is the hackathon, in which young professionals developed a real case from the sector. The teams will pitch their projects on Wednesday (10) at 2 p.m., and the winning duo will be announced on Thursday (11), receiving a prize of R$5,000.