Sergi Vinardell
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Position: Postdoctoral Researcher at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Sergi Vinardell is a postdoctoral researcher at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), working under the framework of a Juan de la Cierva fellowship funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Girona, a master's degree in environmental engineering from the University of Barcelona, and a PhD in engineering and applied sciences from the University of Barcelona.
Sergi’s research interests are centered on evaluating the economic, environmental, and technical feasibility of several critical areas: the recovery of resources and critical raw materials from waste streams, the production of renewable energy vectors to promote the energy transition, and the decarbonization of carbon-intensive industrial chemical processes.
Within the SEArcularMINE project, Sergi has been instrumental in preparing the inventory data necessary for the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) studies related to the recovery of trace elements. He has also contributed to the design and preliminary testing of the ion-exchange pilot plant. Sergi highlights the opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary research team from various institutions as one of the most beneficial elements of the project. This collaboration has allowed him to establish valuable connections for future projects.
The commissioning and preliminary testing of the ion-exchange pilot plant posed significant challenges, but Sergi emphasizes that teamwork with UPC researchers was crucial in overcoming these difficulties. He believes that SEArcularMINE is an important project because it addresses the recovery of critical raw materials (CRMs) from secondary sources, which is vital for reducing dependency on other countries and achieving the European Union's decarbonization goals as outlined in the European Green Deal.
Sergi is passionate about research and teaching and intends to continue his academic career, contributing to the advancement of sustainable engineering practices and education.
