19-12-2024
Salomão Joaquim, who holds a master's degree in Renewable Energy Engineering from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, won the 4th edition of the REN - Ciência LP - FCT Scientific Merit Medals.
The alumnus was the winner in the Students and Researchers category with his master's thesis entitled: ‘Study of the potential of a Hybrid Renewable Energy System: Case Study of the Lobito Coastal Region (Angola)’. The work was supervised by Nuno Amaro, professor in the same department, and Nuno Lapa, professor in the Chemistry Department.
The aim of the dissertation was to design a hybrid renewable energy system in the region of Lobito, Angola. The system is made up of a gasification unit, the raw material for which is municipal solid waste (MSW), a photovoltaic park and a green hydrogen generation unit. The technical and economic feasibility of the proposed system was analysed and it was concluded that the hybrid system would have the capacity to generate 62 GWh/year of renewable electricity, capable of supplying energy to 1186 families in the region, where electrification is still in its infancy. The average cost of the energy generated would be 0.1792 $/kWh. The proposed system would also generate a number of positive externalities from an environmental and social point of view, namely by providing a solution to the existing level of MSW, which is currently landfilled.
Full details of the award can be found at: https://www.ciencialp.pt/medalhas-de-merito-cientifico/
