In its first appearance at the SPE Energython, IFP School distinguished itself by winning the European final of this international competition for students. Organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, this challenge invites teams to transform issues related to energy resources, power grids, the economy, reliability, and digital demand into development concepts that can inform decision-making.
The winning team, named “Vélogas,” consisted of three students: Baptiste Armengol, Luke Giffen, and Léonard Stockel—all three from the Energy Technology Economics and Management program—with the support of Gautier Pollet-Villard, an apprentice at TotalEnergies and a student in the Petroleum Engineering and Project Development program. Together, they represented the IFP School SPE Student Chapter.
Under the theme “From the Molecule to the Megabyte,” the 2026 competition invited participants to draw parallels between the physical energy system and the growing demand for digital infrastructure.
For six weeks, the Vélogas team evaluated gas supply, production options, site selection, reliability, costs, emissions, and financing strategies, competing against 12 teams from across Europe. IFP School was also represented by a second team, Kronosgas, which qualified for the European finals.
Thanks to this victory, the team will travel to Houston next October to compete against the world’s best teams in the international finals.
Congratulations to our students on this successful debut!