Alen Horvat

Contact Information
Email: ahorvat@ing.uc3m.es

EDUCATION
Food processing | University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2009.
PhD in Biomass-to-Biofuel | University of Limerick, Ireland, 2016.

RESEARCH INTEREST
• Water science
• Renewable energy
• Waste treatment
• Biofuels of 4 th generation
• Production of biodegradable plastic
• Food science
• Life Cycle Analysis

PREVIOUS RESEARCH EXPERIENCE & RESEARCH STAYS
Postdoctoral research:
1. University Carlos III, Madrid, Feb. 2017 to Jun. 2017.
2. University of Limerick, Ireland, Oct. 2017 to Jun. 2018.

Study visit/research campaign:
1. University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP), Philippines, May-Jul. 2024.
2. Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), Namibia, Feb.-Apr. 2024.
3. University of Cape Town (UCT) and The University of the Western Cape (UWC), South Africa, Apr.-Jul. 2023.
4. Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Botswana, Feb.-Apr. 2023.
5. Ho Chi Minh City International University (VNUHCM-IU), Vietnam, Jul. 2022.
6. Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (WUT), Poland, Jun.-Oct. 2021.
7. National University of Colombia (UNAL), Bogota, Jun. 2019.
8. Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN-TNO) together with Institute of Energy Futures – Brunel
University London, Feb. 2018.
9. Stiftelsen for Industriell og Teknisk Forskning (SINTEF) Trondheim, Norway, Nov. 2018.
10. University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain, Apr.-Sept. 2016.
11. KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, Sept. 2014.
12. Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN-TNO), Netherlands, Sept. 2021, May 2015, Apr. 2014, Apr. 2013.

TEACHING ACTIVITY
Analytical Chemistry, University of Limerick, Ireland
Thermal Engineering, University Carlos III, Madrid
Energy & Water, University Carlos III, Madrid
Coal and Waste Valorization, Botswana International University of Science and Technology

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Simbolon, L.M., Pandey, D.S., Horvat, A., Leahy, J.J., Tassou, S.A. and Kwapinska, M. (2023). Influence of the pyrolysis temperature on fresh and pelletised chicken litter with focus on sustainable production and utilisation of biochar. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, pp.1-15. DOI:doi.org/10.1007/s13399-023-04787-5

Batuecas, E., Serrano, D., Horvat, A. and Abelha, P. (2023). Sustainable conditions for waste tires recycling through gasification in a bubbling fluidized bed. Journal of Cleaner Production, p.137839. DOI:doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137839

Serrano, D., Horvat, A., Batuecas, E. and Abelha, P. (2022). Waste tyres valorisation through gasification in a bubbling fluidised bed: An exhaustive gas composition analysis. Renewable Energy, 200, pp.1438-1446. DOI:doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2022.10.025

Horvat, A., Kwapinska, M., Aramouni, N.A.K. and Leahy, J.J. (2021). Solid phase adsorption method for tar sampling–How post sampling treatment affects tar yields and volatile tar compounds?. Fuel, 291, p.120059. DOI:10.1016/j.fuel.2020.120059

Horvat, A., Kwapinska, M., & Leahy, J. J. (2019). Tar from pilot scale co-pyrolysis of biological dairy sludge and spruce wood chips. Energy Procedia, 161, 66-74. DOI:10.1016/j.egypro.2019.02.059

CONFERENCE CONTRIBUTIONS
10th International Conference on Engineering for Waste and Biomass Valorisation (WasteEng2024), 2024, Sendai, Japan, Oral presentation entitled Direct aqueous carbonization by utilization of demolition waste – Life cycle analysis -.

XII National and III International Conference on Engineering Thermodynamics (12 th CNIT), 2022, Madrid, Spain, Oral presentation entitled Detailed analysis of sulfur contaminants derived from air-blown fluidized bed gasification of waste tires.

8th International Conference on Engineering for Waste and Biomass Valorisation (WasteEng2020), 2021, Virtual event, Oral presentation entitled Liquid by-product from hydrothermal carbonization as a substrate for microbial production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs).

2nd International Conference on Sustainable Energy and Resource Use in Food Chains (ICSEF2018), 2018, Paphos, Cyprus, Oral presentation entitled Tar form Pilot Scale Co-pyrolysis of Solid Dairy Sludge and Spruce Wood Chips.

15th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology (CEST2017), 2017, Rhodes, Greece, Oral presentation entitled Poultry Litter Gasification in a Fluidized Bed Reactor: Effects of Equivalence Ratio, Temperature and Limestone Addition on Tar Yield and Composition.

24th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (24 th EUBCE), 2016, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Poster presentation entitled as: Study of Post Sampling Treatment of Solid Phase Adsorption Method on Tar Yields and Comparison of Two Methods for Volatile Tar Compounds.