CASE-IN finalists urge efficient use of energy resources

On May 31, the final of the VII International Engineering Championship "CASE-IN", one of the projects of ANO "Russia − the land of opportunities", took place in Moscow. This year, its participants – 540 young specialists and future engineers from 60 regions of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan - solved engineering cases on the topic of "Digital Transformation", one of the most relevant on the global agenda.

The final was preceded by 110 qualifying rounds held in 44 cities and 4 countries. They were attended by 5076 people - students of 57 leading technical universities in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and young specialists - teams from 40 companies of fuel and energy and mineral resources complexes. The best got a ticket to the finals.

As part of the final "CASE-IN", case defense took place in seven industry areas: geological exploration, mining, metallurgy, petrochemistry, oil and gas, digital atom and electric power industry. In parallel, their own competitions were held for young specialists of the companies. The solutions were evaluated by representatives of 25 leading fuel and energy companies and MSK 

In the final of the Championship, the champions and prize-winners in all areas were determined. The winners received the Champions Cup, the title of the best engineering team of 2019, and gifts from the Championship partners.

For the second year, at the "CASE-IN" finals, on the initiative of the championship's titular partner, Transneftenergo, a special award is awarded for "The best solution aimed at energy conservation." A question on this topic was included in the case of each industry area of the championship. A special award was awarded to the 2X2 team (Oil and Gas Engineering, Far Eastern Federal University) for a solution that ensures maximum energy efficiency and energy conservation, and all its participants received flagship smartphones as a gift.

- Energy conservation and energy efficiency are important areas of the world's economy, as people are beginning to realize that in fact, the resources of our planet are not unlimited, and we need to learn how to use them effectively., - the members of the "2X2" team note - Alexey Balabukha (captain), Ekaterina Kozmina, Roman Inshakov and Victoria Sukhovilova. - The essence of our solution is to apply modern methods at all stages of field development, as well as during oil refining and transportation. In particular, we proposed using a pipeline system for oil transportation. a smaller diameter system and anti-turbulence additives that reduce hydraulic resistance in the pipeline and allow for increased oil consumption through the system. For internal pipelines with a smaller diameter, we suggest using a flow swirl system. This does not require large investments, but it can significantly reduce hydraulic resistance in the field. In wells, it is possible to install a flow control valve, all kinds of temperature and pressure sensors to automate the production process and more carefully regulate it, which will help to increase hydraulic efficiency and, consequently, the overall energy efficiency of the system.

Welcoming the finalists, Sergey Yemelyanov, CEO of Transneftenergo LLC, stressed that the issue of energy conservation and energy efficiency remains one of the key issues on the government's agenda and is reflected in the Energy Security Doctrine of the Russian Federation approved by the President of Russia (Decree dated May 13, 2019). Consequently, the enterprises of the fuel and energy complex and the mineral resource complex pay and will continue to pay great attention to measures to stimulate energy conservation and increase their economic efficiency. Graduates of CASE-IN, future technical specialists in absolutely all fields, whether Mining, Metallurgy, Petrochemistry or Geological Exploration, will have to carefully handle energy resources and offer competent solutions to optimize energy consumption.

- To motivate you guys to understand this issue better, Transneftenergo has established a special nomination – "The best solution aimed at energy conservation"- addressed to the finalists Sergey Yemelyanov. – Our experts worked in the commissions in all areas and noted that the teams showed good knowledge of the topic and proposed worthy measures to reduce energy consumption with a reasonable economic effect. All the participants are great fellows, but a competition is a competition, and in any championship there must be a winner. Congratulations to all the finalists on the successful completion of the trials. I think you are all very lucky, because "CASE-IN" is a unique project: in terms of scale, geography, stated objectives and trends. I am sure that participating in this Championship will be the highlight of your student life and a stepping stone in your career.

The founder and co-chairman of the organizing committee of the Championship, Artyom Korolev, noted: It is not the first year that "CASE-IN" has been playing an important role, being a kind of "social elevator" for talented youth.

- The most talented, active, motivated guys come from the regions to the final stage, who have a unique opportunity. - to get acquainted with potential employers, prove yourself, get an internship invitation or a job offer, - underlined Artem Korolev.

Transneftenergo specialists not only evaluated case solutions in all areas of the "CASE-IN" Finals and the League of Young Professionals competitions, but also met with the guys during a closed Career Day, where they spoke in detail about the prospects of working in the company and the support program for young professionals.

After the Championship final, the work within the framework of the VII "CASE-IN" season does not end: in the fall, it is planned to launch the next wave of competitions of the school and student leagues "CASE-IN", which will involve new schools, universities and regions. The Digital Transformation season will finally end with competitions for young specialists of the Fuel and energy Complex and the Moscow Energy Complex at the Youth Day of the Russian Energy Week International Forum. The most active CASE-IN finalists will be able to participate not only in the REN Youth Day, but also attend the events of the main program of the forum.