In September 2025, the Energi Simulation team from Heriot-Watt University travelled to Rio de Janeiro to participate in the Energi Simulation Annual Summit and Summer School, hosted at the JW Marriott Hotel and supported by Petrobras and Brazilian partner universities. The event brought together international research chairs, industry experts, and students to discuss the latest advancements in CCUS, hydrogen storage, and energy transition technologies.
A Memorable Start
The visit began with a group excursion to the iconic Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor), offering a breathtaking view of Rio and setting a warm tone for the week ahead. The team later gathered for a group dinner, strengthening the collaborative spirit that defines the Energi Simulation community.
Hydrogen Workshop – 22 September
The week opened with a full-day Hydrogen Workshop led by Dr. Gang Wang, co-organised with Prof. Eric Mackay and Patricia Gusmão. The morning session featured Claudia Honnicke from Petrobras, who presented Petrobras’ Energy Transition Roadmap, followed by Andrew Seto from Energi Simulation, highlighting how the organisation supports research worldwide. Dr. Wang then discussed Hydrogen as a Key Energy Storage Solution in the Energy Transition.
The afternoon focused on technical aspects of underground hydrogen storage, with talks on:
- Hydrodynamics – Dr. Gang Wang
- Geomechanics – Prof. Hadi Hajibeygi (TU Delft)
- Bio-geochemistry – Ahmadreza Shojaee (Heriot-Watt University)
The workshop concluded with an interactive group activity, led by Susan Fellow, where participants—mainly from Petrobras—discussed the techno-economic and policy aspects of H₂ storage and presented their group insights.
Energi Simulation Summit – 23–24 September
The Summit opened on Tuesday with welcoming remarks by Duke Anderson and Andrew Seto. The first day featured presentations from several research chairs, including Prof. Denis Schiozer, Prof. Leonardo Guimarães, Prof. Giovanni Grasselli, Prof. Rick Chalaturnyk, Prof. Behnam Jafarpour, and Prof. Arne Skauge, covering topics in geomechanics, data science, and oil field management.
A highlight of the day was the exclusive screening of “War on Carbon”, a documentary sponsored by Energi Simulation that explores the global challenge of decarbonisation. The day concluded with the Energi Gala Dinner, where board members, chairs, and students celebrated another successful year of collaboration.
OOn Wednesday, the focus shifted toward CCUS, hydrogen, and energy storage. Prof. Eric Mackay opened the day with a talk on Fluid Flow and Geochemistry for GeoEnergy Industries, followed by presentations from Prof. Hadi Hajibeygi (TU Delft), Prof. Sebastian Geiger (TU Delft), Prof. Apostolos Kantzas (University of Calgary), and Prof. Ryosuke Okuno (University of Texas at Austin).
Industry speakers from Petrobras and GLJ also shared real-world insights into Brazil’s ongoing energy transition projects. During this day, the Energi Simulation Board held its Annual General Meeting, where the roles and positions for the next year were formally announced.
The two-day Summit closed with engaging poster sessions featuring cutting-edge research from PhD students across the global network, including eight presenters from Heriot-Watt University, representing Prof. Eric Mackay’s and Prof. Arne Skauge’s Energi Simulation Chairs:
| Presenter | Poster Title |
|---|---|
| Behrad Shadan | Enhanced Simulation Techniques for Viscous Fingering Study |
| Hamed Mir | Upscaling of the Water-Alternating-Gas (WAG) Process |
| Saeid Larki Ashtari | Fluid Flow Functions for CO₂ Storage |
| Ahmadreza Shojaee | Numerical Study of Biological and Geochemical Reactions During Hydrogen Storage in Subsurface Porous Media |
| Mohzdeh Igder | Evaluating Solubility and Retention of Phosphonate Inhibitors for Optimised Scale Control in Subsurface Applications |
| Patricia Braga Gusmão | Water Management in Carbonate Reservoirs |
| Shabnam Mohammadi | Silicate Scale Prevention in Geothermal Brine Systems: Comparing the Mechanism and Performance of Two Polymer-Based Inhibitors |
| Ahmed Wagia Alla | Improving Simulation Accuracy of CO₂ Storage in Residual Oil Zones and Depleted Hydrocarbon Reservoirs |
Energi Simulation School – 25–26 September
Following the Summit, the Energi Simulation School 2025 offered two days of technical lectures and interactive sessions focused on the future of CCUS and hydrogen storage.
Speakers included experts from Petrobras, TU Delft, UFPE, and Heriot-Watt University. Dr. Gang Wang and Prof. Hadi Hajibeygi delivered sessions on reservoir engineering and simulation for subsurface hydrogen storage.
Prof. Sebastian Geiger, who was scheduled to present Deep Geothermal Systems: Principles and Challenges, was unfortunately unwell that day, and Prof. Rick Chalaturnyk kindly stepped in to present insightful results from the Aquistore Project in Canada, highlighting field-scale monitoring and geomechanical aspects of CO₂ storage.
Students later participated in group projects inspired by Brazilian geological scenarios, exploring opportunities for hydrogen and CO₂ storage in aquifers, reservoirs, and salt caverns.
The event concluded with student presentations summarising their lessons learned which was a reflection of Energi Simulation’s commitment to building the next generation of researchers driving the global energy transition.
