ProfessorPaul Fennell

Biography

Professor Paul Fennell is a chemical engineer working on the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industry, with a particular focus on carbon capture and storage, and the low-carbon production of cement, steel and hydrogen. He is internationally recognised for pioneering calcium and chemical looping technologies for CO2 capture, and for long-standing technical and policy leadership on UK and EU carbon capture readiness regulation. Alongside his academic research, he has co-founded two spin-out companies recovering critical materials from waste using ionic liquids, and works as a technical consultant to industry and government translating research into deployable technology.

Career History

• 2024 — Co-Director, Centre for Doctoral Training in Green Industrial Futures
• 2024 — Co-founder, Vanadion
• 2024 — President's Award, Imperial College London, for contribution to the student experience
• 2018 — Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer, Ionic Recovery
• 2017 — Professor of Clean Energy, Imperial College London
• 2015 — Fellow, Institution of Chemical Engineers; Chartered Engineer and Chartered Scientist
• 2015 — Winner, IChemE Ambassador Prize, for public engagement in chemical engineering
• 2014–2016 — Reader in Clean Energy, Imperial College London
• 2011–2014 — Senior Lecturer in Clean Energy, Imperial College London
• 2007–2011 — Lecturer in Clean Energy, RCUK (Shell) Research Fellow, Imperial College London
• 2003–2007 — Post-Doctoral Researcher, Department of Chemical Engineering, Cambridge University
• 1999–2003 — PhD, Chemical Engineering Department, Cambridge University
• 1994–1998 — BA, MEng (Hons), Chemical Engineering Department, Cambridge University