Siemens Climate Award 2010 Presented to Risø National Laboratory Scientist

Trine Klemensø, a young scientist and Project Manager of a vital project at the Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, has been chosen for the Siemens Climate Awarded 2010 for his work in fuel cells.

The project’s main aim is to develop advanced Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs), which are the metal supported fuel cells, with cheaper materials and improved properties. Finance for the project is supplied by the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation.

SOFCs are efficient when fuel is converted into electricity. CO₂ emissions are reduced considerably even if fossil fuels are utilized. CO₂ free or neutral fuels such as ammonia, hydrogen and biogas could also be used by these fuel cells. Moreover these fuel cells operate as membranes, which facilitate CO₂ separation from the gas emissions when fuel is being converted into heat and electricity. Normally, this separation process in the CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) process is very expensive and could be employed as one more way to reduce the CO₂ emissions in the atmosphere.

The Climate award sponsored by the Siemens Foundation is usually given to either one or more scientists in Denmark who are less than forty years of age, as a traveling scholarship for conducting research to identify new solutions for reducing  greenhouse gas emissions. The main criteria for selection of the awardees are the level of research and the potential and implementation of the projects for reduction of CO₂ outside the laboratories.