Award-Winning PetroChina Lab Lowers Carbon and Automates Efficiency

PetroChina’s innovative Shanghai Research Institute Technology Research and Development Center received the I2SL Sustainable Laboratory Award for Excellence in Low Carbon Construction last year due to its innovative design and construction techniques. Using a modular mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) system and robotic technology, along with building information modeling (BIM), helped the project achieve a total reduction of 53.7 metric tons of carbon emissions compared to traditional construction methods while improving construction safety.

There are eight different lab types in the 71,232-square-meter facility, all with their own specifications for vibration, ventilation requirements, and utility needs, so it was important for the lab design to be flexible. Moveable benches, an open floor plan, and centralized utilities optimize space utilization, improve efficiency, and allow for flexible lab configurations based on the research being conducted. Integrating intelligent lab systems into the BIM to create a digital twin of the facility allows for enhanced monitoring of lab operations and systems.

During a 2026 I2SL Education Month session in February, Dynaflow’s Xia Yuanqian explained that the modular MEP components were fabricated and assembled using unstaffed robotic technology, reducing labor costs and carbon emissions. In traditional construction, welding and cutting release untreated emissions and dust from equipment. During prefabrication, welding smoke and cutting dust were captured via fume extraction hoods, reducing associated emissions to 28 percent of traditional construction levels. During the installation of prefabricated components, only 15 percent of construction tasks required installation above two meters, decreasing the need for installers to conduct high-altitude work. BIM software identified spatial conflicts between building components before construction, eliminating the need to rework designs, as well as reducing construction waste.

Automation was also integrated into the lab operations; a robotic reagent management system sorts, stores, and delivers reagents to lab staff. The building’s electric distribution system features busbars that travel down the main corridors with branches arranged to supply labs with power. Xia noted that the busbar system facilitates frequent lab layout adjustments and high-load power consumption requirements while improving power supply reliability, safety, and O&M efficiency. Digital twin technology allows for intelligent management and real-time monitoring of the building systems and gas consumption; alarms prompt cylinder replacement or identify any leakage. The intelligent cloud laboratory platform displays data such as reagent and consumables inventory, research waste management, equipment controls, gas cylinder monitoring, O&M management, and energy consumption. Facilities staff monitor this data from their desktop or mobile devices, allowing for rapid response when issues are identified.