Energy Institute celebrates outstanding students in Aberdeen

The event was organised by the EI Aberdeen, Highlands and Islands branch to honour the best energy papers from MSc students at Robert Gordon University (RGU) and the University of Aberdeen (UoA). Five students were shortlisted by the two universities, selected from over 400 potential students.

This annual event brings together industry and academia, showcasing the latest thinking and research from MSc students as well as enabling them to be recognised by future employers.

Anna Petitt, who is graduating with an MSc in Oil and Gas Engineering (with Distinction) from RGU, received first prize of £250 for her thesis ‘Determination of the Parameters of Flow Control Devices to Operate Effectively in a CO₂ Storage Well.

The runners up were from the University of Aberdeen and RGU, graduating respectively in MSc Global Subsea Engineering (with Distinction) and MSc Solar energy systems (with Distinction).

Winner Anna said: “I am honoured to have come in first place given the high calibre of the presentations.”

Anna added: “I would like to thank RGU for nominating me for this competition, my employer, Tendeka, for the use of the CCS model, the operators for supplying their well data and the Energy Institute for the opportunity to present my project to a wide audience. Winning this prize is testament to the fact that CCS will be fundamental to the Energy Transition but that there are challenges which I hope my project can be a part of solving.”

Katrina Dunbar, manager of the local Energy Institute branch who moderated the evening said: “This competition has been running for nearly 20 years and is an extremely tough competition every year. Presentations were across the energy mix. These two world-renowned establishments bring to the marketplace some extremely talented students with innovative ideas as was demonstrated by the presentations and reflected in the extremely close judges scoring on the evening. It is really encouraging to see such in-depth research coming from the next generation of industry practitioners’.

Lead judge Rebecca Allison, Chair of the EI AHI branch and Head of Emissions Reduction Manager at Net Zero Technology Centre commented: “The judging panel on the evening gathered at our sponsor’s Challenge Centre to view the presentations, ask questions and deliberate.

“We were incredibly impressed by the quality of the content and confident presentations the students delivered, especially they were presenting online for a second year. They certainly showcased again the variety and passion of the new talent coming into our industry, hopefully leading to successful and varied careers going forward.”

Sponsors Global E&C are a major employer for the energy industry and their Technical Director Paul Rushton commented: “Recognising and celebrating students in this way is hugely important to us as a business that provides engineering, procurement and construction to the energy sector. The enthusiasm and skill of individuals like these will be pivotal in supporting the energy solutions we all need for our sustainable future.”