Imperial News

Symposium on renewable fuel and energy storage draws in Imperial's researchers

by Dr Kieran Brophy, Andreas Kafizas

An in-house conference on renewable fuel and energy storage has attracted more than 130 researchers from across Imperial College.

On Friday 2ndNovember, the Department of Chemistry hosted the first meeting on Renewable Fuel and Energy Storage, the first large scale event held at the Molecular Sciences Research Hub in White City. The symposium, organised by Dr. Ernest Pastor (Chemistry), Dr. Andreas Kafizas (Chemistry and Grantham Institute), Dr. Anna Hankin and Dr. Franky Bedoya Lora (Chemical Engineering), gathered more than 130 researchers from across college working on strategies to address our pressing energy supply issues. Discussion covered the latest research being carried out at Imperial College on fundamental and applied materials development, as well as a panel session with scientists and policy experts.

Prof Martin Siegert, co-Director of the Grantham Institute, gives Mr. Ravi Shankar, a PhD student from Chemical Engineering, his poster prize. Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Gallop.



The symposium provided a unique opportunity to gain insight into research from across College, which was useful and thought-provoking. Anna Hankin Organiser

The event highlighted both the multiple routes for collaboration across the college and the need to coordinate future efforts, including the need for further work to bring these diverse and active communities together. Such cross collaboration was shown by the fact that the symposium was sponsored by a wide range of institutes and departments in Imperial, including the Department of Chemistry, The Energy Futures Lab, The Institute for Molecular Sciences and Engineering, The Centre for Plastic Electronics and the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment. 

The best poster prize went to Michael Sachs for ‘Hydrogen evolution activity of linear organic photocatalysts. Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Gallop.

The Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment also sponsored Poster Prizes that were awarded to Mr Michael Sachs (Chemistry), Mr. Alexander Giovannitti (Physics) and Mr Ravi Shankar (Chemical Engineering). These awards will fund future conference travel to present their research.

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