It’s underpinned by PETRONAS’ ambition to drive a fundamental shift in the way energy is produced, aspiring to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The 5-year RCA provides a framework for a number of research projects driven by a focused sustainability agenda that balances environment, social and governance considerations across the entire value chain. The agreement was followed by an initial investment to fund seven parallel research projects, each planned over two or three years. The Research Programme addresses a variety of challenges, from maintaining PETRONAS’ leading position in the removal of various contaminants from the industrial streams, through innovative solutions in energy-efficient, sustainable transport (including the anticipated global shift towards electric vehicles), to investigating societal aspects of the global shifts in energy production and consumption.

The current RCA is the continuation of a successful partnership between PETRONAS and the QUILL Research Centre, established in 2007 to jointly pursue an ambitious sustainability agenda. Prior agreements have seen PETRONAS in collaborative projects with QUILL, which resulted in dozens of joint papers and patents, as well as a successful commercialisation of the first ionic liquid mercury removal technology. Taking only five years from market to plant, this innovation won five Institute of Chemical Engineering (IChemE) awards in 2013 and 2014, the Royal Society of Chemistry’s 2014 ‘Teamwork in Innovation Award’, and 2014 Niklin Medal.

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Media inquiries to Sarah Beveridge at Queen’s University Communications Office - Telephone: +44 (0)28 9097 3087 Email: s.beveridge@qub.ac.uk