The two-day workshop involved around 40 researchers. Presentations were given and discussion for collaborations and research progress were carried out. It is promising and challenging to connect solid waste recycling with wastewater treatment. For example, biochar produced from pyrolysis of biomass waste can be used for the removal of pollutants from wastewater.

Some photo are attached below:

Mr. Shuming Zhang from QUB visited the Institute for Themal Power Engineering of Zhejiang University from September 2021 to December 2021. During his exchange period at Zhejiang University, Shuming worked in Prof. Mengxiang Fang’s group mainly on the techno-economic analysis of the autothermal CaO looping biomass gasification process. There is one revised manuscript waiting for journal submission. In addition, he received training on CO2 absorption in large-scale industrial applications.

The workshop, partially funded by the EU RISE project, has successfully carried out bringing participants from UK and China. Topics related to biomass conversion and wastewater treatment have been discussed, in addition to the collaborations and career development. We aim to sustain the research links and promote the development and deployment of bioenergy and its interaction with wastewater treatment.

Workshop Title: Sino-UK Workshop on Biomass Conversion and Utilisation

UK Principal Applicant: Prof. Xin Tu, University of Liverpool

Partner Country Principal Applicant: Prof. Hanping Chen, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Discipline: Energy and Chemical Engineering        

Dates and venue: 9^th to 11^th Dec 2021, Liverpool & On-line (Zoom)          

Scope of the workshop

1. Thermochemical conversion of biomass to fuels, chemicals and materials

2. Catalytic conversion of biomass to fuels, chemicals and materials

3. High value-added biomass utilisation & process

4. Synthesis of biomass-based materials & catalysts

The programme, Newton Fund Researcher Links provides opportunities for early career researchers from the UK and internationally to research exchange and developing potential research collaborations.

As part of this programme, we are now recruiting early career researchers to participate in the above workshop.

The workshop will provide a unique opportunity for sharing research expertise and networking. During the workshops early career researchers will have the opportunity to present their research in the form of a short oral presentation and discuss this with established researchers from the UK and partner countries. There will be a focus on providing mentorship for participated ECRs and developing links for future collaborations.

The Newton Fund will cover the costs related to the participation to the workshop, including travel, accommodation and meals. The British Council accepts no responsibility for any problems which may occur with travel or accommodation arrangements or any other issues that participants might experience when the participants are away from their home.

Application and Deadline:

The full application below must be completed and submitted by 10^th November 2021 to: xin.tu@liv.ac.uk

Eligibility Criteria:

• Applications must be submitted using the Researcher Links application form
• Application must be submitted before the above deadline
• Participants must be Early Career Researchers: Early Career Researchers are defined as holding a PhD (or having equivalent research experience) and having up to 10 years post-PhD research experience. They are equivalent to the ‘Recognised Researcher’ and sometimes ‘Experienced Researcher’ categories in the EU framework for researchers’ careers.
• https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/europe/career-development/training-researchers/research-profiles-descriptors .
• Participants must have a research or academic position (a permanent post, research contract, or fellowship etc) at a recognised university or research institution in the UK.
• Participants are expected to attend all sessions of the workshop.

Quality Assessment

• Experience and relevance of the applicant’s research area to the workshop
• Motivation and contribution to the aims of the workshop
• Description of the long-term impact expected through the participation in the workshop
• Ability to disseminate workshop’s outcomes

Selection Procedure:

• Eligibility check
• Quality assessment

Notification of results:

Applicants will be notified by email prior to the workshop.

Equal Opportunities

Equal opportunities and diversity are at the heart of the British Council’s cultural relations ambitions. While recognising that some research fields are dominated by one particular gender, Principal Applicants are encouraged to work towards an equal gender balance, promote diversity. They must not exclude applicants on the basis of ethnicity, gender, religious belief, sexual orientation, social status or disability. Participants’ selection undertaken by workshop organisers must not contravene this policy.  Extra support to enable participation of Early Career Researchers with special needs will be given.

Workshop Application Form

Sino-UK workshop on New Materials and Technologies in Water Treatment and Sludge Solid Waste Treatment and Disposal

22 and 23 October 2021

The Malone Hotel – 60 Eglantine Ave, Malone Rd, Belfast BT9 6DY & Online

(Hybrid workshop)

Online access: Link

China is 7 hours ahead of the UK. The workshop starts at 8 am (UK time), which is 3 pm in China.

22 October 2021 (Friday)

8 am (UK Time) – Workshop starts – Link

Chunfei Wu and Zhen Yang

8: 10 am-8:40 am (UK Time)

Keynote (Chair – Chunfei Wu)

Xiaolei Fan, University of Manchester, Microwave assisted catalytic conversion of sugar platforms to value added chemicals

8: 40 am-9:10 am (UK Time)

Keynote (Chair – Chunfei Wu) – Link

Haiping Yang, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Thermal Chemical conversion of biomass wastes

9:10 am – 10:10 am (UK Time) (Chair – Xiaolei Fan) – Link

Xiaolei Zhang_, University of Strathclyde, Atomistic insights on converting organic solid wastes into fuels and chemicals

Yeshui Zhang – University College London, Advanced metrology for studying catalyst degradation

Jinbo Ouyang, East China University of Technology, Application of biochar and its composites in the removal of pharmaceutical micropollutants from wastewater

Changlei Qin, Chongqing University, Development and Applicability of Li4SiO4 Sorbents for Sorption-Enhanced Reforming

10:10 am – 10: 30 am  (UK Time)

Break

10:30 am – 11:00 am (UK Time) (Chair – Changlei Qin) – Link

Lina Liu, Nankai University, DBD Plasma-Catalytic Biomass Tar Reforming and CO2 utilization

Cui Quan, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Development of activated biochar supported Ni catalyst for enhancing tar steam reforming

11:00 am – 11: 30 pm (UK Time)

Keynote (Chair – Changlei Qin) – Link

Hui Jin, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Supercritical water gasification technologies for H₂ production.

11:30 am – 12: 30 pm (UK Time) (Chair – Yeshui Zhang) – Link

Xuqing Liu, University of Manchester, Sustainable Fashion and Textile: Textile Waste Memberane Treatment Technology and Textile Waste Fiber Regeneration via a Green Chemistry Approach

Bing Guo, University of Surrey, Microbial symbiosis and interactions in anammox reactor

Le Han, Chongqing University, Recovery of ammonium from waste water via novel intergrated membrane process toward the zero energy concept

Guozhao Ji, Dalian University of Technology, Pyrolysis of plastic waste in rotary kiln with solid heat carriers

12:30 pm – 13:10 pm (UK Time)

Panel discussion, introduced and chaired by Chunfei Wu (Queen’s University Belfast) – Link

13:10 pm – 14:00 pm (UK Time)

Break

14:00 pm – 15:00 pm (UK Time) (Chair – Xin Tu) – Link

Guanjie He, University of Lincoln, Electrolytic hydrogen generation from different aqueous media

Nathan Skillen, Queen’s University Belfast, Photocatalytic water treatment; addressing the technology transfer challenges

Mi Yan, Zhejiang University of Technology, Supercritical water gasification of sewage sludge for H2 production

Lu Ding, East China University of Science and Technology, High quality solid fuel production from sewage sludge employing the hydrothermal treatment

23 October 2021 (Saturday)

8: 10 am-8:40 am (UK Time)

Keynote (Chair-Jiawei Wang) – Link

Xin Tu, University of Liverpool, Non-thermal plasma: An emerging technology for bioenergy applications

8: 40 am-9:10 am (UK Time)

Keynote (Chair – Zhen Yang) – Link

Kai Yan, Sun Yat-sen University, High value-utilization of biomass-derived sources

9:10 am – 10:10 am (UK Time) (Chair-Xiaolei Zhang) – Link

Xiaoxia Ou, University of Manchester, High ionic strength wastewater treatment

Yikai Xu, Queen’s University Belfast, Plasmonic Nanomaterials for Water Remediation

Hui Zhou, Tsinghua University, High-value-added utilization of lignin via hydrothermal treatment

Jianqiang Chen, Nanjing Forest University, Application of Pomelo peel-derived Hydrochar in Oil/water Separation and Bio-based Fuels

10:10 am – 10: 30 am (UK Time)

Break

10: 30 am – 11: 00 am (UK Time)

Keynote (Chair – Hui Zhou) – Link

Jiawei Wang, Aston University, Product-oriented optimisation of the catalytic pyrolysis of plastic waste

11: 00 am – 11: 45 am (UK Time) (Chair – Yikai Zhou) – Link

Shikun Cheng, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Non-Sewered Sanitation Systems (NSSS): Application and Development

Zhen Yang, Nanjing Normal University, Hydrophobic-modified metal-hydroxide

nanoflocculants enable one-step removal of multicontaminants

for drinking water production

Ningbo Gao, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Technologies development for water removal from sewage sludge

11:45 pm – 12:30 pm (UK Time)

Panel discussion, introduced and chaired by Yongliang Li (University of Birmingham) – Link