R&D

Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage

Commercial Solutions

Circular Economy

Smart Production and Operation Applications

Laboratory and Pilot Tests

Global Partnerships

The use of fossil fuels is estimated to peak in 2030. Therefore, Tüpraş committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and created a strategic plan revolving around four main areas: sustainable refining, renewable fuels, zero-carbon electricity, and clean hydrogen. Tüpraş R&D Center develops solutions for improving the profitability and competitiveness of our current assets and refinery operations while also implementing competence and infrastructure development works through technology development/transfer efforts that will bolster our strategic investment plan. Thus, it plays an active role in readying Tüpraş for the future.

Focusing on adding value to current Tüpraş assets and operations, we primarily conduct our R&D projects in three fields: operational, digital, and commercial solutions. Alongside Tüpraş's strategic plan, the center continues its efforts in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), clean hydrogen, renewable fuel, zero-carbon electricity/energy efficiency, circular economy, and innovative process technologies.

Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage

In line with the world's changing expectations and demands, Tüpraş maintains its focus on its carbon-neutral goal; keeps its competitive edge with the industry leaders in technology and practices; and researches and develops carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies for its refineries while appropriately and effectively managing its time and resources.

Our cash-funded projects in carbon capture, utilization, and storage are:

COZMOS

(Efficient CO₂ Conversion Over Multisite ZeoliteMetal Nanocatalysts to Fuels and OlefinS)

MOF4AIR

(Metal Organic Frameworks for Carbon Dioxide Adsorption Processes in Power Production and Energy Intensive IndustRies)

https://www.mof4air.eu/

Zero Carbon Electricity/Energy Efficiency

Investments in zero-carbon electricity are critical to becoming carbon neutral. The Tüpraş R&D Center strives to conserve resources and reduce emissions by working on projects to increase the energy efficiency of our systems.

Indus3Es

(Industrial Energy and Environment Efficiency)

BAMBOO

(Boosting New Approaches for Flexibility Management By Optimizing Process Off-gas and Waste Use)

https://bambooproject.eu/

FLEXINDUSTRIES

(Digitally Enabled FLEXible Industries For Reliable Energy Grids Under High Penetration of Variable Renewable Energy Sources)

https://flexindustries.eu/

Clean Hydrogen

Clean hydrogen efforts are of the utmost importance to Tüpraş's goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Our R&D center implements projects that will pave the way for an ecosystem that protects intellectual rights, develops technological competence, and directs investments to the appropriate areas while creating a hydrogen-focused value chain.

Sustainable Refining

Our sustainable refining strategy is one of the main pillars of Tüpraş's Strategic Plan. As part of this, experienced researchers develop solutions through our coker pilot facility, which can simulate refinery coker units, laboratory infrastructure for testing alternative crude oils, pilot facilities for assessing our hydroprocessing processes, and material and commercial catalyst/adsorbent works.

Our cash-funded sustainable refining project is:

ACHIEF

(Innovative High-performance Alloys and Coatings For Highly Efficient Intensive Energy Processes)

https://www.achief.eu/

Renewable Fuels

In line with our sustainability goals, we are adding value to our country and our company through projects that aim to devise new, eco-friendly technologies in air and sea fuels and endeavor to use alternative fuels such as non-food renewable resources and waste as part of the green transformation of refineries.

EBIO - (Biofuels Through Electrochemical Transformation of Intermediate Bio-Liquids)

https://www.ebio-h2020.eu/

MICRO-JET - (Microalgae-based Sustainable Biofuel Project)

Commercial Solutions

Tüpraş carries out development efforts to expand its bitumen product portfolio and maintain its refinery operations in line with the company's sustainable refining strategy. These projects aim to develop scalable and commercializable products and provide innovative, tailored, and domestic products that offer performance and cost advantages in various industries. Customer, resource, and legislative demands are continuously analyzed and utilized to identify new products for the future, determine strategic steps, and develop technologies accordingly to launch and scale products.

Circular Economy

By investing in new areas that embrace sustainability, our goal is to manage our current assets in a sustainable and profitable manner to lead the transformation in the energy industry.

We aim to holistically demonstrate that unused end products and by-products can be recycled to and around the refinery ecosystem through a schedule that includes technologies' and shareholders' roles in the process.

We also aim to show how the circular economy can contribute to Tüpraş's sustainable refinery strategy by using new technologies to work toward zero discharge, maximum recovery, and minimal use of natural resources.

Our cash-funded circular economy projects are:

INTEGROIL

(Demonstration of a Decision Support System for a Novel Integrated Solution Aimed at Water Reuse in the Oil & Gas Industry)

https://integroil.eu/

AquaSPICE

(Advancing Sustainability of Process Industries Through Digital and Circular Water Use Innovations)

https://aquaspice.eu/

CORALIS

(Creation of New Value Chain Relations Through Novel Approaches Facilitating Long-term Industrial Symbiosis)

https://www.coralis-h2020.eu/

EPC-EqTech

(An Innovative Turnkey Solution to Process Spent Caustic Created in the Oil&Gas Industry at Low-cost and That Meets Wastewater Regulations)

Smart Production and Operation Applications

Tüpraş’s digitalization strategy is supported by simulation, process and resource optimization, digital twins, predictive maintenance, quality estimation product groups, and robotics and sensor technologies. We monitor our operational processes to identify areas for improvement, and we use digital technologies to create precise and integrated solutions under our smart production and operation applications efforts.

Our cash-funded smart production and operation applications projects are:

Hydroptics-

(Photonics Sensing Platform for Process Optimisation in the Oil Industry)

https://hydroptics.eu/

FUDIPO

(Future Directions of Production Planning and Optimized Energy and Process Industries)

FACTLOG

(Energy-aware Factory Analytics for Process Industries)

https://www.factlog.eu/

safeAST

(Continuous Structural Condition Tank Integrity Monitoring of Above Ground Storage)

https://cordis.europa.eu

iperm

(Guided Wave Monitoring Tool)

http://www.iperm.eu/

Innovative Process Technologies

We conduct projects to utilize innovative and sustainable process technologies to profitably develop strategic chemicals and materials in an R&D framework.

Our cash-funded innovative process technologies projects are:

MACBETH

(Membranes and Catalysts Beyond Economic and Technological Hurdles)

https://www.macbeth-project.eu/

BIZeolCat

(Bifunctional Zeolite based Catalysts for Sustainable Hydrocarbon Transformation)

https://www.bizeolcat.eu/

Laboratory and Pilot Tests

Tüpraş R&D labs strive to provide the most accurate and up-to-date data to maintain the safe and efficient operation of the company's refineries, adopt technologies of the future, and adapt to change.

The labs specialize in identifying light, medium, and heavy end products and by-products at all boiling ranges. The expert lab team conducts lab work and pilot studies to experiment with new technologies in accordance with Tüpraş's strategic goals. The gathered data supports the implementation of solutions and helps refineries during crude oil supply and processing operations

Our laboratories can create numerous chemical reactions thanks to over 300 different pieces of equipment, six lab-sized reactor systems, and nine pilot units. This enables simulation studies for large-scale processes and the expansion of lab-scale projects. The labs also conduct maintenance for the proper operation of advanced and multidimensional equipment portfolios and set up the necessary equipment for R&D projects.

Our operations are guided by the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. We aim to maximize employee experience by focusing on their continuous development.

Global Partnerships

Water Europe

Continuing its investments in water efficiency and wastewater recycling, Tüpraş strengthened its global reach in water by becoming a member of Water Europe and part of the global water ecosystem, guided by the same goals in Europe and the world.

Water Europe aims to develop partnerships in the global water ecosystem, enhance performance and competition, and help to address global water problems. Tüpraş was the first Turkish industrial company to join the initiative.

Established as the European Technology Platform for Water by the European Commission in 2004, Water Europe became a member-based and multi-stakeholder platform in 2007. With almost 250 members from 28 countries, Water Europe works on projects to further develop the water ecosystem. It steers water-related efforts, particularly in Europe, and creates consortiums.

Hydrogen Europe

With plans to lead the energy industry in the future, Tüpraş has accelerated its efforts toward the production of green hydrogen, a priority in its Strategic Transformation Plan. By joining Hydrogen Europe, the leading stakeholder in Europe's hydrogen market, Tüpraş extended its communication network and became a part of a hydrogen ecosystem that is guided by the same principles in Europe and around the world.

A pivotal industrial initiative, Hydrogen Europe was established to guide green hydrogen efforts and form consortiums in Europe. With a membership of more than 350 industrial companies, 103 research centers, and 30 national foundations from over 20 countries, the initiative supports the development of hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cell technologies and their implementation in the field.

SPRINT Robotics

Tüpraş is a member of SPRINT Robotics, a non-profit organization that encourages the development, availability, and implementation of robotic technology to inspect and maintain capital-intensive facilities such as refineries globally. The company initiates joint industrial projects for market innovation and R&D, closely follows innovations in robotic technologies, creates a strategic roadmap, joins a network formed by all relevant companies and organizations, and accesses the online knowledge base and network.

A.SPIRE

A.SPIRE is an international non-profit association established under the Horizon 2020 Programme by SPIRE Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to represent the private sector.

The association represents more than 90 industrial and research institutions from over ten European countries. Their goal is to develop facilitative technologies and best practices that will help process industries with efficient resource use.

Tüpraş is the first Turkish company to join the A.SPIRE platform. Aligning with platforms that engage private industry on behalf of the European Commission, which determines EU policies and projects, is also crucial for our country.