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Recognized as one of the largest Engineering companies in Brazil (Valor Econômico 2023), Intertechne begins 2024 with a branch established in the city of Houston, Texas, aimed at offering engineering services to the petrochemical segment in the region.

With more than 35 years in the engineering market, Intertechne has extensive experience in consulting, design and management of large-scale construction and assembly works. In its portfolio, the company has several global clients linked to the petrochemical and oil and gas industry, such as Petrobras and Braskem.

History that reflects on quality

Intertechne’s track record includes major projects in the Petrochemical and Oil & Gas segments, such as the Campos Basin and the expansion of ethylene production for Braskem.

The Campos Basin (learn the history) is responsible for a large part of Brazil’s oil production, contributing significantly to energy self-sufficiency and the export of oil and oil products, generating jobs, wealth and a lot of development.

As for Braskem, one of the behemoths in the petrochemical industry, the company has recently decided to expand the Ethene production plant in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (learn more about the project), and hired Intertechne to develop the project. The work involved a multidisciplinary team of specialized Intertechne engineers in various areas, such as process engineering, piping, civil, electrical, instrumentation, industrial automation and project automation.

Discover our Houston office

Intertechne USA is located at 12848 Queensburry Ln, 208, Houston, TX. More information can be found at www.intertechneusa.com. Interested in our services? Contact us!

The exploration of pre-salt layers in Brazil resulted in a significant increase in national oil production along two decades and brought with it the development of specific technologies to face the challenges of oil exploration in deep waters. A demonstration of this advance is the transformation of Brazil into an exporter of highly sophisticated equipment for the extraction of oil in deep waters, such as, for example, Wet Christmas Trees (WCT).

Wet Christmas Trees are subsea devices fixed in well openings on the sea floor. These equipments control the flow of oil and conduct it to the surface. This type of technology entered in the list of export products from Brazil due to the innovations developed by multinationals to adapt them to the complexities of the pre-salt layer, where well depths can exceed 7,000 meters.

The export of equipment and services globally demonstrate the capacity and competitiveness of the oil and gas value chain installed in Brazil.

Intertechne, a company with more than 35 years in the engineering market, has in its portfolio clients linked to the petrochemical industry and pre-salt layer exploration, such as Petrobras and Braskem. In addition, the company has a Business Unit dedicated to the Oil and Gas/Petrochemical industry, with a team of more than 200 professionals allocated in three of the company’s offices in Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Porto Alegre, these cities, which constitute important centers of the sector’s value chain in Brazil.

Find out more about Intertechne’s work on our website.

Considered the biggest companies in Brazil when talking about Oil and Gas (Jornal Valor Económico. 2023), the giants Petrobras and Braskem have invested heavily in the recent past in several new technologies for the industry, such as the production of biofuels, the exploration of natural gas offshore, the development of new methods of extracting oil and the development of new petrochemical products.

Petrobras is the largest oil company in Brazil and one of the largest in the world. It produces, processes and trade petroleum, natural gas, and derivatives. Only in the last year, the company recorded net income around US$ 38 billion. Braskem is the largest petrochemical company in Brazil, produces thermoplastic resins, chemical products and fertilizers, with a strong international presence.

Intertechne, a company with more than 35 years in the engineering market, has Petrobras and Braskem in its client portfolio, and a Business Unit dedicated to the Oil and Gas/Petrochemical industry. This Business Unit has a team of more than 200 professionals allocated in three of the company’s offices in Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Porto Alegre, these capitals, which constitute important centers of the sector’s value chain in Brazil.

Find out more about Intertechne’s work on our website.

Leia também em português.

During the past week, Intertechne held a Workshop on Hydropower Sustainability at its headquarters in Curitiba, Brazil. This initiative is a result of the company’s affiliation with the International Hydropower Association (IHA).

Civil Engineer Antônio Fonseca dos Santos led the coordination of the workshop. With over three decades of experience in environmental analysis of energy projects, Fonseca has worked with organizations such as COPEL, Brascan, Brookfield, and Elera. He was recognized as Engineer of the Year in the field of environment and sustainability in 2009.

Fonseca has also served as a board member of the National Water Resources Council (CNRH) from 2009 to 2012. Currently, he works as an independent consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank and serves on the Technical Committee of Hydrovision International.

The workshop aimed to present the IHA protocol outlining the criteria for hydropower projects to be considered sustainable. It also aimed to promote internal awareness of the IHA criteria within the company. Intertechne’s goal is to become qualified to conduct sustainability assessments and ensure their consolidation into certifications, creating a virtuous cycle for the sector.

José Franco Pinheiro Machado, Civil Engineer and Director of Water and Energy Business Unit at Intertechne, emphasized the importance of this work for the company. “With this qualification, we will be able to assist in sustainability assessments and ensure that the certification process is as accurate as possible,” said Pinheiro Machado. During the presentation, in response to Fonseca, Pinheiro also discussed the tools being used. “This task force is already applying these tools in the analysis of an ongoing project for an international client, to solidify the workshop’s content and enable Intertechne to contribute to the application and improvement of analysis procedures,” he added.

In summary, the workshop covered a wide range of topics related to the certification of sustainable projects. These included the importance of following best practices, seeking recognized certification tools, financial transparency, global collaboration, personal responsibility, and the need for effective communication. Over two days, participants discussed the significance of seeking sustainable solutions across various sectors, considering different social, environmental, and governance aspects, and promoting active participation and collaboration to achieve sustainable objectives.

Civil Engineer Paola Flecha Braschi, one of the attendees, highlighted the value of Fonseca’s presentation in shedding light on many issues. “With Mr. Fonseca’s presentation, we reinforced the critical analysis focused on sustainability criteria. His experience as a consultant and the introduction of important tools guided us toward entering new markets, expanding our possibilities,” she concluded.

“We aim to stimulate our professionals in the pursuit of sustainability!” stated Civil Engineer José Franco Pinheiro Machado, Director of the Water and Energy Business Unit at Intertechne, in a recent interview.

With this goal, Intertechne will be conducting an internal seminar next week with the objective of training employees about the sustainability parameters of hydropower projects established by the International Hydropower Association (IHA), an organization of which we have recently become members.

The seminar is part of the company’s plan to become a leading promoter of sustainable hydropower projects across all implementation stages. We firmly believe in the importance of hydropower projects for a sustainable future, alongside other renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. It is essential to demonstrate to society and our clients that all forms of renewable energy, including hydropower, can be clean and sustainable.

Sustainability is just one of the many causes championed by Intertechne.

As Pinheiro explains, the company has a responsibility to foster sustainable hydropower projects, especially after becoming members of the International Hydropower Association,” shared the Civil Engineer José Pinheiro Machado.

“With our participation in IHA, Intertechne has taken a significant step towards becoming a leader in the sustainable hydropower market. This achievement holds great significance for us and our clients,” commented Civil Engineer José Pinheiro Machado.

José Franco Pinheiro Machado graduated in Civil Engineering from the Federal University of Paraná, Brasil, in 1988, has a MSc degree in Water Resources/ Hydraulic engineering from the same university in 1992 and a MBA in Energy Management from the Fundação Getúlio Vargas, 2001. Started his career as a hydraulic engineer and energetic studies expert at Intertechne in 1989, later becoming a project manager in many projects, mainly greenfield hydropower basic and detailed design. Since 2008 is a Director and partner at Intertechne Consultores.

About the seminar

Intertechne has invited engineer Antônio Fonseca dos Santos, who has been engaged in environmental analysis of energy projects since 1991, to coordinate the seminar. With experience at COPEL and companies like Brascan, Brookfield, and Elera, Fonseca was awarded Engineer of the Year in 2009 in the field of environment and sustainability.

In addition to this achievement, Fonseca served as a board member of the National Water Resources Council (CNRH) from 2009 to 2012 and currently serves as an independent consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank. He is also a member of the Technical Committee of Hydrovision International.

Intertechne is now a member of the International Hydropower Association – IHA. By participating in the IHA, Intertechne advocates for the importance of hydroelectric plants in the so-called energy transition and recognizes their role in seeking projects that are innovative and, above all, sustainable.

The IHA aims to promote and encourage sustainable hydropower projects, demonstrating the importance of sustainability in dam and hydroelectric projects for society, emphasizing that we can build a world where energy and water needs can be met sustainably (more about the IHA at the end of the text).

“Intertechne takes an important step today towards being a protagonist in the market of sustainable hydroelectric plants. This means a lot to us and our clients,” says Civil Engineer José Pinheiro Machado, Director of the Energy and Infrastructure Business Unit at Intertechne.

Now, alongside Itaipu, Eletrobras, Engie, and 90 other companies, Intertechne is also an IHA member.

Check out our solutions in Renewable Energy.

IRAPÉ, GARIBALDI and LAÚCA; some big projects of Intertechne

The largest energy producer in Angola, with an installed capacity of 2,067 MW, was built on the Kwanza River, and had feasibility studies and basic, executive, and environmental projects carried out by Intertechne for the GAMEK client (Médio Kwanza Development Office).

The hydropower plant, built between 2012 and 2018, is located in the municipality of Cacuso, in Malanje, and is responsible for supplying 45% of Angola’s energy demand and reducing power outages in the country by 94%.

Winner of the Puente de Alcântara International Award (2009) and the Chincold – Icold – Spancold International Award (2009), the Irapé Hydroelectric Power Plant is located on the Jequitinhonha River and has an installed capacity of 360 MW. With the scope of basic and executive projects (civil, electrical, and mechanical (in consortium) carried out by Intertechne, the plant has the highest dam in Brazil and the second largest in Latin America, at 208 meters. The Irapé Hydropower Plant was inaugurated in 2006 and is considered one of the most modern power plants installed in the country.

The Garibaldi Hydropower Plant has an installed capacity of 190 MW, which meets the needs of 500,000 people, and is located on the Canoas River. For this project, which started operating in 2013, Intertechne carried out basic and executive projects (civil and electromechanical).

More about IHA

Founded in 1995, the International Hydropower Association (IHA) is a global network that includes energy companies, governments, non-governmental organizations, academics, and other hydropower experts. Its mission is to promote the sustainable development of the sector through research, political dialogue, and dissemination of information and best practices. The organization has a particular focus on three areas: environmental sustainability, socio-economic benefits, and technical performance.

The IHA carries out various activities to achieve its objectives. This includes conducting research and case studies, developing tools and guidelines for the hydropower sector, and organizing events such as conferences and discussion forums. The organization also collaborates with governments and other international organizations to promote hydropower as a renewable and sustainable energy source (Source: Itaipu).

Intertechne Consultores has just launched its new website and this time the platform has undergone significant changes that involve everything from a more attractive graphic interface to content that has become more robust. According to Paulo Akashi, director of business development at Intertechne, the new website is an important piece in a comprehensive content marketing strategy that began to be designed in the second half of 2019. The objective is to reinforce the Intertechne brand in the digital environment, positioning the company as a global player in the consultative engineering segment.

“Intertechne is an internationally renowned company and, in recent years, has been updating itself to offer even more solutions to its customers. We changed our strategy and started working more proactively, looking for new players in the sector and reaching new markets. On our website, people will be positively surprised and realize that Intertechne is a cutting edge company, says Akashi”.

According to Paulo, the new website is a dynamic platform, easy to navigate and with interconnected contents that facilitate the understanding of complex subjects. “The website presents the company’s corporate profile, with Intertechne’s main differentials, an improved presentation of the project portfolio, a clear view of each of the company’s business areas. Sections were also created to present the company’s main leaderships, corporate governance and innovation policies.

”The new website together with the content production actions that we have carried out on our social networks aims to reinforce Intertechne’s positioning, demonstrating the strength of our brand not only in areas where we are traditionally recognized, but also in new business areas”, reinforces Paulo.

The new version of the website will also feature a news session, in which the user will be able to follow the update of relevant information about the company and the engineering sector. Among the great news of the website is that it has the implementation of responsive technology, that is, all content is entirely adapted for navigation on various screens, from PCs to smartphones. “This feature will allow better performance in rendering pages, in addition to making the user experience much more practical and interactive”, concludes Paulo Akashi.