Overview

The Biorefinery and Resource Recovery Group specialises in developing novel concepts and methodologies for sustainable industrial system design and resource management. We employ systems engineering and industrial ecology approaches extensively in our research to understand complex interactions and behaviour of various systems, including food, energy, chemicals, nutrient and waste systems, and striving to improve energy efficiency and minimise environmental impact of the systems. Our research in conceptual design is at the forefront contributing towards net-zero targets and addressing global challenges and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 “Affordable and Clean Energy” and 12 “Responsible Consumption and Production”. Our vision is to facilitate the transition from a fossil-based, linear system to one that is fundamentally sustainable by using renewables as the main stream resources by fully embracing the principle of circular economy.

Research Areas

We conduct a broad range of research in the areas of:

Thermochemical and biochemical processing of biomass
Decarbonised polygeneration system for hydrogen, chemical, fuel, heat, and power production
Waste valorisation for value-added product generation
Low-carbon and negative emission technologies such as biorefineries with carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)
Sustainable resources and waste management strategies using a systems approach