Professor Gary T. Rochelle of the University of Texas at Austin

Texas researcher recognized with NTNU/SINTEF award

A Texas chemical engineer has been recognized with the 2015 SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award.

Professor Gary T. Rochelle of the University of Texas at Austin has been given the 2015 SINTEF and NTNU CCS (carbon capture and storage) Award. He received the award for his long list of contributions to CO2capture, in particular for his efforts in development of post-combustion technologies. The award ceremony was held at the banquet of the eighth “Trondheim Conference on CO2 Capture, Transport and Storage” (TCCS-8) on 17 June.

Gary T. Rochelle is Professor of Chemical Engineering at the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. His wide range of research activities includes the control of air pollution from acid gases, carbon dioxide, and air toxics; CO2 capture; flue gas desulfurization; treatment of acid gas; CO2 mass transfer with chemical reaction; electrolyte thermodynamics; and reaction kinetics in aqueous solutions. He receives the SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award for his contributions within CO2 capture. Rochelle received his BSc and MSc from MIT (1971), and his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley (1977), both in chemical engineering.

In its deliberation, the Award Selection Committee wrote that Professor Rochelle was selected for the award based on the far-reaching impact on the development of new technologies for CO2 capture from exhaust gases by absorption. He has made important and impressive contributions over the last 20 years, making the work conducted at UoT Austin a world standard. In particular his work is related to solvent development, process modifications and environmental impact. The Committee emphasizesd that Professor Rochelle has been an instrumental partner for NTNU and SINTEF in recent years in their work on post-combustion technologies. His long-lasting cooperation with Professor Hallvard Svendsen’s research group at NTNU has been very fruitful for both parties, and for years they have offered joint PhD courses, workshops and seminars. Professor Rochelle is also a member of the Scientific Committee for the BIGCCS Centre and is involved as an advisor for various SINTEF projects.

The SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award recognizes outstanding achievements in carbon capture, transport and storage (CCS), including scientific contributions and breakthroughs, novel schemes for CCS, increased knowledge and dissemination of CCS, and/or promotion and initiation of CCS for pilot, demo and full scale. Furthermore, the award is given to an individual, and the contribution of the nominee shall be of excellence and international acknowledgement according to the above designated areas. The candidate shall have played a key role in the contribution or achievement, and the achievement should be of relevance to SINTEF and NTNU.

The Award consists of a diploma, a check of NOK 25,000 and free registration at the next TCCS conference. In addition, the winner is invited to give a self-selected Award Winners Lecture at the plenum part of the TCCS conference.

This was the third time the SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award was presented. Earlier winners are Erik Lindeberg, SINTEF (2011) and Tore A. Torp, Statoil (2013). The 2015 Award Selection Committee consisted of John Gale (IEAGHG), Andy Chadwick (BGS, UK), and Paul Feron (CSIRO, Australia). Nils Røkke acted as secretary to the Committee.