Nuclear energy and sustainability experts to arrive in Manchester this October
22nd August 2018
Leading engineering experts in nuclear energy and sustainability have been confirmed to deliver keynote speeches at two technical conferences in Manchester this year.
Organised by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), they will be held at etc.venues in Manchester on 4-5 October 2018. The International Sustainable Production and Consumption Conference (ISPCC) will explore progress made by chemical engineers in sustainable production and consumption methods; whilst the International Nuclear Engineering Conference (INEC) will look at the development of nuclear energy by chemical engineers, from cradle to grave.
Chaired by Adisa Azapagic, Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester, the ISPCC conference programme has been designed in collaboration with IChemE’s highly-regarded journal Sustainable Production and Consumption and with the support of the EFCE Sustainability Section. This is the first time an IChemE journal has produced a technical conference of this kind.
The organising committee announced the speaker line-up today, with a plethora of leading academics and researchers confirmed.
Professor Raimund Bleischwitz, Chair of Sustainable Global Resources at University College London, will present on: The role of resources in transformations towards sustainability. His extensive international research experience in resource efficiency, and the interface of policy and industry, has resulted in more than 200 publication contributions.
He will be joined by Dr Sandra Venghaus, Senior Scientist at the Juelich Research Centre’s Institute for Systems Analysis and Technology Evaluation in Germany. She is an expert in evaluating the impact of political action on society and the environment, with a particular focus on the sustainability of food, energy and water. Venghaus heads up the Ethics, Sustainability, and the Food, Energy, Water Nexus Research Group at Juelich.
Other confirmed speakers include: Professor Carmen Teodosiu, Director of the Department Environmental Engineering and Management at Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Ia?i in Romania; Dr Stefan Hirschberg, Senior Advisor in Energy Divisions at Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland; and Dr David Greenfield, Managing Director of Social Environmental & Economic Solutions (SOENECS).
INEC, which is chaired by Bruce Hanson, Professor of Nuclear Process Engineering at the University of Leeds, will run parallel to ISPCC. It will focus on how developments in nuclear engineering could underpin a sustainable nuclear power industry worldwide.
Tim Milner, Chief Technology Officer at Atkins, has been confirmed as a keynote speaker and will discuss technology in nuclear decommissioning and waste management. With over 20 years of experience in nuclear engineering internationally, his specialist subject is the development and application of chemical processes in supporting nuclear power plants.
Additionally, in his presentation Advanced Reactor Development in the US: Evolution or Revolution?, Andrew Worrall will explore the benefits of nuclear as a secure and clean source of electricity. Worrall, Fuel Cycle Technology Integration Leader at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has worked in reactor physics, fuel and core design, fuel development, and analysis for more than 25 years.
Ian Scott, President, Moltex Energy Ltd, and California State University’s Dr Stephen Mezyk, Professor of Physical Environmental Chemistry, will also present at INEC.
Jarka Glassey, IChemE Vice President (Technical), said:
“ISPCC and INEC will both shine a light on the important developments championed by chemical engineers in core areas of the process industry.
“The world we know today faces challenges on several fronts, and much of the solutions required are underpinned by the need for sustainable processes and products. Chemical engineers have a unique skill set and are best-placed to develop these sustainable solutions. What’s more, nuclear energy will be key to delivering an energy mix that will help us to achieve our global emissions targets as we learn to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.
“These conferences provide a fantastic opportunity for chemical, process, and biochemical engineers from research and industry to come together and learn from each other. We have an impressive speaker line-up for both conferences, and I’m looking forward to hearing their take on the challenges as well as the opportunities.”
Those wishing to register for ISPCC should visit www.icheme.org/ispcc, whilst those wishing to attend INEC should visit www.icheme.org/inec. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for both conferences. Interested parties should visit the INEC and ISPCC webpages.