A multinational team of researchers has been assembled at the University of South Wales (USW) to address some of the challenges of building a sustainable future.
Dr Gareth Owen, Associate Professor in Inorganic Chemistry, is leading the group, who come from as far afield as South America, Asia, and Africa, to look at projects which focus on carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and the by-products of industrial processes.
Hailing from West Bengal in India, Dr Ranjit Bag and Dr Uttam Das are specialists in chemistry and science and are working on CO2 project funded by Sêr Cymru, a multi-million-pound Welsh Government programme. Dr Issam Abdalghani, from Palestine, who is also an expert in chemistry, is also working on the Ser Cymru Project.
Two further chemistry experts – Dr Shepherd Siangwata and Dr Leah Matsinha – who are from Zimbabwe, are part of the team. Dr Siangwata is working on the UK Catalysis Hub project, while Dr Matsinha is working on the Sêr Cymru project,
From South America, Brazilian, Dr Nildo Costa, who is funded through FLEXIS in the Sustainable Environment Research Centre (SERC), specialises in hydrogen storage research involving industrial partners Canada-based Hydro Quebec.
The European contingent in the research team are working across the different projects, with Shannan Southwood-Samuel and Joseph Goldsworthy, from the UK, focusing on a partnership with TATA Steel; with Joseph also involved in the carbon dioxide research. Also from the UK, Dr Anna Booth and Dr Jonathan Turley are also both working together with Dr Costa on hydrogen research in SERC funded through the FLEXIS project.
Finally, Miriam Jackson, from the Czech Republic, is currently working on finalising her PhD as part of the TATA steel project to mitigate sulfur emissions.
The projects the team are working on include looking at ways to convert carbon dioxide into chemicals that can be used by industry, therefore cutting the amount of the greenhouse gas fed into the atmosphere. These are funded through grants from Ser Cymru and the UK Catalysis Hub.
The hydrogen projects, funded by HydroQuebec and FLEXIS, are researching methods to store the gas, so it be can be released at the time it is needed and used to power vehicles.
While the partnership with Tata Steel is looking at ways to utilise the manufacturer’s waste products – such as coke oven gas, coal tars, and carbon dioxide – to support its focus on decarbonising operations to mitigate CO2 emissions.
According to Dr Owen, the fact that so many experts have been attracted to work on these projects at USW shows how the University is leading the way in globally impactful research.
“One of the key aims of the University’s 2030 Strategy is to address the challenges posed by moving towards a more sustainable world,” Dr Owen said. “These projects are just a few that USW is working on, and highlights our commitment to a greener future.
“Being able to attract experts of such calibre from across the globe to USW shows how serious we are taken by those who, like us, are passionate about addressing environmental challenges.
“It also proves that USW is at the forefront of such research and how the University is helping to further develop a variety of experts who choose to advance their knowledge here.”
These projects are funded from a number of sources, including Ser Cymru, and the FLEXIS and KESS programmes, which are funded by the Welsh Government, which is part funded by the European Development Fund. The UK Catalysis Hub project is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Funding has also been provided through industrial partnerships with Hydro-Quebec, Canada, and Tata Steel UK.
