
Facilities
We are delighted to be able to offer a learning experience which is almost unique among UK universities.
Our new £1.7m facility includes a fully operational pilot plant which enables our students to experience the entire chemical process, putting the theory they learn into practice in a real-world environment.
Fluor pilot plant
The facility is a fully operational chemical process plant that demonstrates all of the main functions of an industrial plant such as chemical reaction, solids handling, filtration, heat exchange and CO₂ capture by gas absorption. It utilises a safe whole process to produce very pure saline solution from a contaminated salt feed. The plant has a high spec control room, situated on a mezzanine floor, which closely resembles control rooms found in industry, with a mimic display showing a range of data such as the operational status of the plant and real time measurements.
The pilot plant was part-funded by a substantial donation from Fluor, as well as a donation of $1 million from Surrey alumni Neil and Elizabeth Chapman. Neil Chapman is a chemical engineering graduate and currently President of ExxonMobil Chemical Company, and Elizabeth is a human health and biology alumna.
Take a look at our Flickr gallery for all images and download the Pilot Plant brochure (PDF) to read more.
Facilities
In 2019, the University of Surrey invested over £6.5m in new and upgraded facilities in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences (FEPS).