Researcher participates in landmark Mexican Conference to battle climate change and achieve long-term sustainability

International cooperation and a multidisciplinary approach are key to mitigating and slowing the impact of climate change globally. In this spirit, Professor Luis Ricardez-Sandoval was invited to participate in the XLIV AMIDIQ Conference in Mexico this spring.

Ricardez-Sandoval was asked to officially witness a new significant collaboration between the Mexican Association of Chemical Engineers and the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM). The goal of this collaboration is to tackle the climate emergency that humanity faces.

“Disruptive thinking for innovation must be instilled, especially in the development of approaches, methods and new technologies that are suitable for environmental remediation and a more efficient use of resources,” says Dr. Jose Antonio De los Reyes Heredia, General Rector of the Metropolitan Autonomous University.

Ricardez-Sandoval, Director of the Chemical Process Optimization, Multiscale Modelling and Process Systems Research Group was also a guest presenter at the conference. He made recommendations to evolve the curriculum of the Chemical Engineering Program at UAM to advance sustainability.

Ricardez-Sandoval recommended that the concepts such as renewables, process integration and intensification and CO₂ capture, and management be added to the curriculum. In addition, he advised an introduction to new experimental and computational tools such as Machine Learning, Data Science and Computational Fluid Dynamics also be part of the program.

Ricardez-Sandoval’s presentation also described an initiative to reduce CO₂ emissions. Instead of using coal-based plants for power, his research group will use biomass from renewable materials, such as waste from pine trees. The renewable materials will produce energy and will also capture the CO₂ that comes out of burning this biomass.

“The development of novel multiscale models for emerging systems in CO₂ capture technologies and the agriculture sector combined with advanced control and optimization tools for optimal process integration will promote decarbonization and accelerate the deployment of circular carbon economies in our society,” says Ricardez-Sandoval, Canada Research Chair in Multiscale Modelling and Process Systems (Tier II).

 Ricardez-Sandoval addressed methods for existing power plants to operate more efficiently. One way of achieving this is by considering multiple outcome decisions at several different levels simultaneously. This is called optimal process integration, which entails taking into account multiple decisions happening on different time scales that could potentially save millions of dollars.