Olivier APPERT Chairman and CEO

2007 was a year in which energy prices continued to soar, with the price of a barrel of crude oil reaching the 100 dollar threshold for the first time ever at the beginning of January 2008. It was also a year that was marked by the "Grenelle de l’environnement" forum on the environment, the first ever consultation initiative between the French state and representatives from various sectors of society, with a view to defining a plan to support ecology and sustainable planning and development. These events confirmed the evolutions at play in the energy and environmental contexts along with the relevance of IFP’s strategic position, adopted almost four years ago.

The transition towards an energy system concerned by the problems of securing supplies and compatible with constraints linked to climate change and sustainable development is gradually becoming established. In this context, it is important that we speed up the implementation of concrete solutions to enable us to find appropriate responses to the major challenges facing our societies.

More than ever before, IFP intends to be at the forefront of research, training and information in the fields of energy, transport and the environment, both in France and abroad. Its position at the crossroads of science and industry coupled with the commitment and talent of its researchers mean that IFP is well set to meet the challenges associated with the energy transition.

The new EPIC (state-owned industrial and commercial establishment) status, effective since July 2006, has enabled IFP to strengthen its relations with regulatory authorities and establish itself as a full partner in the evolution of the French Research and Innovation System (SFRI).

Carnot IFP-Engines, for example, in the field of engine-fuel systems for transport, has been successfully established to promote partnership research and the dissemination of scientific and technological innovation, particularly to SMEs and SMIs. IFP’s role in the various competitiveness clusters has been reinforced. IFP enjoys constructive relations with the French National Research Agency (ANR) and has been invited to manage two new programs, "Energy Storage" and "Chemistry and Processes for Sustainable Development". In addition, the number of IFP researchers holding a national accreditation to direct research has increased significantly. Finally, the framework agreement with the CNRS was renewed, providing yet further illustration of IFP’s policy commitment in terms of scientific collaboration.

2007 saw IFP take some significant steps forward in each of the key themes for success defined in 2006.

First of all, the Objectives contract, signed at the start of 2007 with the public authorities, was rolled out internally. Programs and resources have thus been effectively refocused and some of the budgetary objectives set have already been exceeded, particularly with respect to New Energy Technologies (NET), such as CO₂ capture and storage and biofuels.

Innovation programs have been reinforced with the industrialization of software upstream, examples being OpenFlow and Coores. The latter has been designed to be the reference for CO₂ storage. Downstream, the Hygo blockbuster, the main objective of which is to transform vacuum distillates into high-quality kerosene and diesel, is a success. IFP’s teams have played a key role in launching pilot projects in the field of second-generation biofuels using biochemical technologies and some significant successes have been achieved with hybrid vehicles and low-CO₂ powertrains.

IFP has continued to pursue its international activities, with a marked increase in the number of IFP School satellite initiatives. As a consequence, two new programs have been launched, one in the refining field in Venezuela and the other in the field of petrochemicals in Russia. IFP has also seen some noteworthy successes in various Middle-Eastern countries, in Algeria and in Brazil.

What’s more, the School enjoyed a record year in 2007 with over 600 students in total, enrolled across all courses, more than 50% of whom are foreign nationals.

Given the rapid changes occurring in our environment, flexibility in terms of human resources management remains a major objective for IFP. We have to be focused and anticipate at all times to ensure that we have the appropriate expertise, both in terms of quantity and quality, to be able to meet our objectives. The environment we are working in requires a continuous readjustment of the expertise we have and the people who provide this expertise need to demonstrate increasing levels of adaptability. IFP supports its employees, offering them training programs, mobility and professional development opportunities that are most appropriate for the variety of needs we face. In 2007, several themed mobility initiatives were successfully implemented: our applied mechanics expertise was put to good use in the reservoir and engine fields, mineral geochemistry grew and our expertise in physical chemistry was applied to projects covering batteries, catalysis and adsorption.

These results have been achieved thanks to the hard work and perseverance of IFP’s employees. Their continued and increasingly intensive efforts will keep us at the cutting-edge of efficiency and innovation as we strive to meet the challenges of the energy transition.
 

Olivier APPERT
Chairman and CEO