HYBRID EVENT: You can participate in person at Paris, France or Virtually from your home or work.
Helaja Tuulamari, Speaker at Catalysis Conferences
Vice President at VTT, Finland
Title : Adding value to biomass through catalytic transformation

Abstract:

Chemistry has been the driving force behind progress for centuries - resulting in our lives becoming easier, more comfortable and healthier. These improvements however came at an environmental cost, which is associated with the way we have been using our resources and sourcing our energy. A global shift towards sustainable ways of doing chemistry is necessary to make sure that we continue to meet the needs of our society for chemicals and products, without jeopardizing those needs for future generations.

This transformation requires constant innovation and new technologies, but also support of all stakeholders - from academy, industry, policy-makers and society.

VTT Technical Centre of Finland actively participates in all areas of sustainable development - with special emphasis on climate action and sustainability. We recognize the value that sustainable chemical technologies provide and we actively pursue the development of new bio-based monomers, bio-oils and biofuels, biochemicals, evaluating waste streams as new raw materials sources, carbon capture and reuse, wood-based high value products, bio-based packaging or innovations such as thermoplastic cellulose. In many of our processes and research, catalysis is the key enabler for technologies - making the process commercially viable - reducing costs, increasing energy efficiency and product selectivity. The presentation will highlight VTT’s expertise and catalytic technologies related to biomass, waste and CO2 conversion to added-value chemicals - including liquid hydrocarbons, waxes and aromatics.

Audience Take Away:

  • Overview of VTT and research activities related to sustainable chemical technologies.
  • Biomass gasification strategies and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
  • VTT’s development of Bio-BTX and other added-value chemicals.
  • VTT’s multipurpose Mobile Synthesis Unit.

Biography:

Tuulamari Helaja graduated with a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Helsinki in 2000. Following a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Münster in 2000-2001, she joined Borealis Polymers to work with olefin polymerization catalyst technologies. In 2006, she obtained an eMBA from Aalto University and joined VTT, where she has held various positions. Since 2016 she has been the Vice President for the Sustainable Energy and Chemical Technologies research area covering thermochemical conversions and chemical process technologies incl. scale-up, industrial synthesis and catalysis, polymer and plastic processing, metals and materials recovery, and computational chemistry incl. process concepts and models.

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