Commodity trading house Alkagesta has invested in "Clean Caspian" (Təmiz Xəzər), an ecological innovation startup led by researchers at Baku Engineering University that is developing advanced solutions for containing and neutralising oil pollution in the marine environment.
The team is headed by Rəvan Rəhimov, head of the university's food and biotechnology department, Technopark staff member Nərmin İsmayılova, and university graduate Aynurə Məmmədova, who holds a master's degree from the University of Padua in Italy. The project reached Alkagesta through the GUB Startup platform, where it was presented as part of a "Skills for the Future" initiative.
Alkagesta says it decided to back the initiative after assessing its scientific potential, environmental significance and contribution to entrepreneurial capacity among young people in the Caucasus and Central Asia, treating the investment as part of its wider ESG strategy and its long-term support for regional science.
The research targets one of the most serious environmental risks associated with hydrocarbon production and transport in the Caspian region. Oil spills and emulsified hydrocarbon layers on the water surface can disrupt oxygen exchange, damage marine biodiversity and harm coastal communities. The team is focused on environmentally safe, cost-effective coagulants and oil-containment materials designed to speed up and improve spill response.
Current work covers biodegradable sorbents, nanomaterial-based oil collection media and containment systems including boom barriers and skimmer technologies. Chief executive Orkhan Rustamov said the entrepreneurial spirit and scientific ambition shown by young researchers in the region was commendable, and that supporting initiatives such as Clean Caspian was an investment both in environmental progress and in the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs.
