Better catalysts will show the way
The key to both challenges is to develop better catalysts to promote the various chemical processes. The centre will develop a systematic methodology to accelerate the discovery process for new catalysts. It will do that in a concerted effort, which is composed of six interdependent sub-projects closely interlinked.
Denmark is the international leader within both catalyst research and production. The research centre hopes to achieve a research breakthrough in the area, which in turn can pave the way for further technological development—ensuring that the exploitation of renewable energy in future will be so efficient that it can compete with fossil fuels and in the long term completely replace them.
Education
In addition to research, education will also play a key role at the VILLUM Center—from research level to municipal primary and lower secondary school level.
Participants
The VILLUM Center for the Science of Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals is a constellation headed by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and with the participation of:
From DTU the following Departments are represented:
Organisation
The center will be headed by Professor Ib Chorkendorff, who has extensive experience in leading large research initiatives. There will be an executive committee consisting of Jane H. Nielsen, Jens Nørskov and Ib
Chorkendorff, who deal with day-to-day issues.
To secure and overview the implementation of the Scientific Research Plan there is a 10
member steering committee consisting of the executive committee, the six sub-project leaders and Henrik Wenzel. This group will meet once a quarter.
The International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB) consists of leading scientists in the field: Professor Yang Shao-Horn (MIT, USA), Professor Nicola Mazari (EPFL, Switzerland) and Professor Robert Schloegl (FHB, Germany).
Economy
The VILLUM Center for the Science of Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals is founded on a grant of 150 MDKK from VILLUM FONDEN.
It is an anniversary grant on account of the 75 year of the VKR group and is the biggest grant from VILLUM FONDEN to a scientific project.
