Energy Engineering Distinguished Lecture: Jiri Klemes, Brno University of Technology

Description

Jiri Klemes
Head of Sustainable Process Integration Laboratory
Brno University of Technology

"Circular Economy Integrating Smart Cities, Smart Industry, and Smart Agriculture"

The circular economy (CE) becomes integrating part of research directed to smart production and living conditions. The smart concept utilizes ICT technologies to supply information for efficient management. A key issue for closing the CE loop is converting waste into secondary raw materials. This circularity should be an essential part of smart cities, which cannot perform without a smart industry and supplies from smart agriculture.

The generation of waste is a loss of resource, disposal, and environmental cost. However, the CE needs some additional inputs of energy, water, and materials which should be minimized. The transformation needs municipal solid waste, agriculture waste, industrial non-hazardous waste, hazardous waste, e-waste (even increasing with the smartness), construction and demolition waste increase with urbanization and population growth. Plastic waste accounting 12% of MSW is among the issues that have received close attention due to its impact on the ecosystem, plastic export ban, and media coverage. Many plastics have a short retention time (user phase) and improper disposal, not complying with the circular economy. However, recycling is costly and requires separation and related technologies to deal with the sensitiveness to composition (type), color and contaminants. Some plastic waste is claimed to be recycled by exporting into the developing countries; it has not always happened, and it created even international tensions.

Bio: Head of Laboratory for Process Integration and Intensification CP12. For 20 years, Prof. Klemes has been leading the research and managerial post as a Senior Project Officer, Honorary Reader, and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Process Integration at UMIST; after the merge at The University of Manchester. He has comprehensive industrial experience in process integration, sustainable technologies, and renewable energy. He also has vast experience in computer aided design methods, PSE tools for environmental protection, sustainability, and greenhouse gas footprint reduction. Prof. Klemes is the founder of President of PRES (Process Integration for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction) conferences for 20 years.