PRR Project

Summary

Eco-conscious solutions are pivotal for transitioning to a sustainable energy future. Shifting from fossil fuels to cleaner energies demands critical efforts from the scientific community on ecofriendly materials design. Raw materials resulting from biomass used in environmental remediation often yield hazardous materials with limited practical value. Targeted pollutant capture, however, can yield valuable raw materials applicable to diverse uses, including energy conversion, storage, and electrocatalysis. This path, grounded in a circular economy, must be pursued to address these efforts.Forecasts from the Commission for Energy Transition anticipate an 80% increase in energy demand over the next 25 years. Due to Russia´s invasion of Ukraine, Europe is accelerating its transition to clean energies to reduce dependence on external fossil fuels. Yet, Europe´s current reliance on external raw materials, sourced from scarce and politically unstable regions with a notable emissions footprint, undermines the EU and UN objectives for clean energy. Decarbonization must align with reindustrialization and sustainable economic growth. Finding alternatives is crucial for fostering Europe´s independence in raw materials required for a green energy transition. To bolster EU sustainability, the Commission introduced the Green Deal Industrial Plan in 2023, with a focus on the manufacturing sector. This underscores the need for efficient, steadfast, and equitable deployment of renewable and alternative energies, establishing a positive cost-benefit dynamic throughout the entire value chain. Energy and environment are prioritized areas by the EU agendas for the green transition. They are key domains within the scientific field of Processes and Project Engineering at DEQ. CQE excels in plant and green chemistry and material design for H2 production, storage, and CO2 conversion. Our strategic shift, prioritizing raw material applications for final use over optimal environmental remediation, was recently acclaimed by a European panel in an ERC evaluation.The new job profile will consolidate the field of Ecoconscious Engineering for Energy and Environment, addressing the crucial challenge of sustainable development and circular economy principles for the green transition, and accelerating the shift to climate neutrality while upholding global competitiveness.To achieve these objectives, tasks related to scientific knowledge and transfer must be executed:  (i) advancing scientific knowledge through phytoremediation for specific applications is crucial; applications should address challenges in advanced materials for energy, necessitating knowledge accumulation on biomass treatment and carbon activation for targeted contaminated biomass; (ii) performing life cycle assessments is vital for informed decision-making on the environmental impact of these technologies, guiding effective sustainable energy solutions; (iii) advancing our understanding of the physicochemical properties, functionalities, and electrochemical performance of biochars empowers innovative materials for emerging battery technologies and serves as carbon support for hydrogen production and electrocatalysis. This fosters technological progress while minimizing environmental impacts. Gathered knowledge will feed the scientific community on target environmental remediation and the development of eco-based materials for the energy sector and related fields. Addressing this interdisciplinary challenge requires nurturing new workforces dedicated to ecoconscious energy paths. In DEQ, this is achieved by attracting national and international MSc and PhD students through dissemination and teaching activities, strengthening DEQ and CQE´s research impact. Through this interdisciplinary strategy, CQE, DEQ, and IST can meet the demand for a specialized workforce, showcase international recognition, and leverage fundraising opportunities.To execute these tasks, interdisciplinary skilled candidates with a solid track record in plant science, eco-friendly plant-assisted routes to produce functional materials, and deep knowledge in materials sciences, including functional surfaces and biointeractions with energy-valuable metals are preferred. Demonstrated interdisciplinary research leadership, with a strong publication record in relevant fields for the project. Experience in supervising MSc and PhD students in these interdisciplinary fields of research. Strong commitment to the scientific community in the decision-making processes in the related areas (e.g. Editor and international project evaluator), leadership, and management experience. A proactive approach to securing funding includes experience in submitting high-impact grants (e.g., ERC) and establishing collaborations with relevant industrial and academic partners in national and international proposals.