May 11, 2009, it was announced that a cooperation agreement signed between IPE and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) of US Department of Energy. It was considered a substantial progress and breakthrough in their history of research and development cooperation. The cooperation would be focused on the improvement of the computations, modeling and virtual simulations for fossil energy equipment and system; and the analysis and integrated researches of the advanced process and systems based on fossil energy. IPE and NETL would exchange information and publications, and have their scientists and experts communicated and visited each other.

The signing ceremony began with lively introductions of each other about each research portfolio, team building, missions and prospects. Both parties discussed how to enhance the cooperation. Professor Jinghai Li, Vice President of CAS and other experts were presented on the invitation. Mr. Jinghua Cao, Deputy Director of CAS Bureau of International Cooperation, presided over the ceremony. Mr Suojiang Zhang, Executive Deputy Director of IPE and Mr Carl Baucer, Director of NETL, signed the agreement as the representative of each party.

After the signing ceremony, the NETL delegation was engrossed in their visit to the State Key Lab for Multi-phase Complex Systems in IPE. The Multi-phase lab carried out studies on complex multi-phase reaction engineering related to energy transformation, materials preparation, resources utilization. Based on temporal and spatial multi-scale structures and discretization, the lab applied itself to computer simulation, parallel computing, online computation and process simulation. NETL showed their admirations for the research achievements of the lab.

During the tour, the two parties also discussed the topics and the details about the cooperation in the near future.

Both IPE and NETL agreed that, in light of the global warming and risks in energy security, their cooperation was of great potentials and necessity. Their cooperation would be extended and mutual beneficial, covering clean fossil energy, utilization of coal, capture and storage of CO2. Especially, long-term cooperation was expected on integrated interpretation and analysis of visualization via computer and scientific and engineering simulation, advanced processes and systems based on fossil energy.