Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search
Profile image of Vicky Skoulou

Dr Vicky Skoulou

Post Nominals PGCert, AMIchemE, FHEA
Biography Are you passionate about biomass and waste, resilient low carbon waste- to -energy, H2 and net zero carbon energy solutions?
I am too and looking forward to collaborate on integrated Renewable Energy (RES) generation systems and integrated concepts, emphasized in biomass & other wastes' thermochemical treatments (carbonization/torrefaction/carbonization/pyrolysis/gasification and clean combustion-CCU /CCS) for net zero carbon decentralized energy generation!

I am the PI of the B3: Biomass waste -BioenergH2- Biochars Group of PGRs and PDRAs. My expertise covers the biomass waste pretreatments, low carbon thermal/thermochemical treatments (mainly pyrolysis and gasification) of lignocellulosic biomass residues, solid fuels, waste and their blends as well as designing of thermochemical reactors for waste to energy, H2 and chars- activated carbons production.
I received my PhD in 2009 from Chem. Engineering Dept. of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (A.U.Th), Greece under the supervision of Prof. Anastasia Zabaniotou. Outcome was the design, scaling up, construction and cold and hot flow operation as well as experimentation in a mobile 5KWth fluidized bed (FB) gasifier for decentralized syngas-H2-energy production from agricultural waste in collaboration with industry (Philipoppoulos Energy Technical S.A., Greece). I subsequently received the Research Excellence Award (2010) to continue my research on co-pyrolysis and co-gasification of biodiesel industry waste/lignocellulosic waste and mixtures for syngas (H2+CO) production (collaboration with Vert Oil S.A.). In 2011 I received a Pan-Hellenic award (State scholarship) from the National Funding Scholarships Association, Greece for assessing the low carbon pyrolysis and gasification characteristics of natural biopolymers (lignin and cellulose) of locally available lignocellulosic wastes and mixtures. As a result I was one of the 79 best researchers of A.U.Th for 2010-11, among >2,500 active research staff at that time, and honored by the Secretary of the Hellenic Ministry of Higher Education in the Awards ceremony 'A.U.Th University Excellence' ( 21/9/2011). On 2012 I was offered the Research Associate position in Chem. Engineering Dept. at Imperial College (ICL), London where I established an advanced thermal treatment reactor (spouted bed gasifier for coal/woody biomass exploitation) running under pyrolysis and gasification conditions, as well as dealt with gaseous emissions control. On January 2014, I was appointed as a Lecturer in Chem. Engineering , Faculty of Science and Engineering (FoSE) University of Hull (UoH). Was also one of the few co-founding members of the Chemical Engineering studies (2014) at the University of Hull at that time. On February 2019, appointed as Director of Research (DR) of Chemical Engineering Department, and on August 2020 promoted to Senior Lecturer (Assoc. Professor) in Chemical Engineering -Biomass Waste to Energy. Between March 2021-July 2022 served the role of DR of both Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Departments, UoH, while from August 2022 I serve the role of Graduate Research Director (GRD) of School of Engineering (Chem, Elec, Mec and Med. Engineering subjects) , UoH. During the last 17 years, I participate(d) as PI and Co-I in 29 research projects in the field of Biomass/Waste -Solid fuels- Low carbon energy/Biofuels- H2- Biochars, emission control and activated carbons. The majority of research projects I participate(d) are/ were funded by UK funding bodies in UK ( EPSRC, HEFCE, British Council) and abroad (H2020, FP7, European Commission, General Secretariat of Research and Technology (GTRT), Greek Ministries of Higher Education and Ministry of Development) as well as co-funded by private sector abroad and in UK. My published work has at least 1955 known citations (October 2024), according to Google Scholar, with an h-index =21 and h10-index =29 (Scopus h index= 20 ) Vice Chair and UK representative in the Management Committee as well as active member of the Working Groups of EU Cost Action LIASE (2023-2027) and Working Group member of PoTArc (2023-2027) EU Cost Action.
Research Interests I am interested in providing supervision in the following fields
and welcome self-funded applications from potential
MSc by Research and PhD students passionate about the following areas:

-Biomass waste /Waste characterisation, pre-treatments and alternative ways of exploitation.
-Thermochemical treatments (carbonization-torrefaction-pyrolysis-gasification-combustion) of food-woody biomass waste, fossil fuels and other waste for waste to energy (WtE), bioenergy-biofuels, biochar production.
-Bioenergy/solid-gaseous biofuels systems design / re purposing of existing technologies to adapt new types of waste to fuels/feed stock
-Advanced cycles and alternative processes for biomass, fossil fuels and waste exploitation for biofuels-bioenergy-biochars under the circular economy scenario.
-Combined Renewable Energy Sources (RES) energy production systems, emphasized in lignocellulosic biomass/other waste sources for net zero carbon centralised and decentralized solutions.
-2nd, 3rd and 4th Generation Feedstock for Biofuels production
-Biorefineries/Waste-Refineries and integration of thermochemical and biochemical processing routes of biomass/waste
-Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to resilient chemical engineering solutions for energy generation and waste minimization.
- Sustainable Chemical Engineering solution for the Environment and Health applications.
- Resilient and sustainable low and net energy generation for industry , transportation and building sectors.
Teaching and Learning I am currently the Module leader and sole Tutor of the multidisciplinary module:

Level 7: Energy Generation from Conventional and Renewable Fuels
2024.25)
while contribute to several Chemical, Mechanical and general Engineering modules (2024.25):
Level 4: Engineering Practical Skills (Supervision of Lab sessions)
Level 4: Engineering Global Challenge I - Guest Lecturer on Biomass
Waste heating systems
Level 5 : Mechanical Engineering Design- Assessor of student
projects-presentations
Level 6: Technology Selection and Process Economics (experienced
design/process engineer serve the role of second marker)
Level 6: Engineering Individual Research Project - Primary
supervisor
Level 7: Energy Sources and Utilization Technologies - Guest Lecturer
Biomass and Waste solutions for Building sector
Level 7: Renewable Energy Technologies for Buildings - Guest
Lecturer in Biomass and Waste solutions for Building sector
Level 7: Individual Engineering Projects (MSc) - Supervisor of a
multidisciplinary team of MSc students (Chem, Elec,
Mechanical Engineering fields)
Level 7: Advanced Process Safety, Industrial Process Control and
Instrumentation (Guest Lecturer)

Have also an excessive experience in further teaching and assessment of Engineering modules (Jan 2014- July 2022) in the fields of :

Level 4: Process Safety and Chemistry
Level 4: Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering & Principles of Chemical Engineering
Level 4&5: Engineering Global Challenge I & II
Level 4&5: Chemical Engineering Challenge I & II
Level 4 & 5: Chemistry Labs for Chem. Engineers and Chemical
Engineering Labs
Level 5: Chemical Processes and Practice
Level 5: Science without Borders Summer Projects 2013-14 (
Supervisor and Second Marker of SwB individual research
projects )
Level 5: Transport Processes I & Introduction to Materials Science
(Co-Tutor and sole responsible for Mass transfer)
Level 5: (Separation Processes ) & Particle Technology and Principles
of (Separation Processes and) Particle Technology (Co-Tutor and
sole responsible for Particle Technology)
Level 5: Research Skills and Project planning (PhD Supervisor PGT
module assignments assessor)
Level 6: Chemical Engineering Design Project (Co-Tutor and Mentor
of Chemical Engineering Design groups of L6 students)
Level 6: Chemical Engineering Research projects (both Supervisor
and Second Marker responsibilities for core Chemical
Engineering projects)
Level 6: Engineering Research projects (both Supervisor and Second
Marker responsibilities for Chemical, Mechanical and Elec
Engineering projects)
Level 7 : Energy Technologies ( Guest lecturer in Biomass waste and
low carbon energy generation from waste )

PGR modules : Research Integrity and Ethics
Scopus Author ID 15835734300
arXiv ID n/a
PhD Supervision Availability Yes
PhD Topics As the leading Principal Investigator (PI) of the B3 Challenge Group : Biomass Waste-BioenergH2- Biochars of Graduate Interns, Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs ) and Post-Doctoral Research Assistants and Associates (PDRAs).
I am interested in providing supervision in the following fields and welcome self-funded applications from potential PGR students ( MSc by Research and PhD students) passionate about the following areas:

-Biomass waste /Waste characterization, pre-treatment and low carbon energy ways of exploitation as well as repurposing to useful materials, chemicals.
-Thermochemical treatments of food-forest waste, lignocellulosic biomass residues, fossil fuels and other waste for bioenergy-biofuels, biochar production.
-Bio and Waste to energy/biofuels reactors-ystems design / re-purposing of existing technologies to adapt to new types of fuels/feed stock such as waste.
-Advanced cycles and alternative processes for biomass wastes, fossil fuels and other waste exploitation for biofuels-bioenergy- H2-biochars under the circular economy scenario.
-Combined Renewable Energy Sources (RES) energy production systems, emphasized in biomass/waste sources.
-2nd, 3rd and 4th Generation Feedstock for solid, liquid and gaseous new generation biofuels production, H2 generation.

- Biorefineries/Waste-Refineries and integration of thermochemical and biochemical processing routes of biomass /waste.


Current and past Graduate Interns ,PGRs and PDRA sand members of my B3 Challenge group, and their career development - destination after my support, training and supervision :

Current PGR (PhDs and MScs by Research) supervisions (4) :

PhD Students (First Supervisor)
Offer Accepted , January 2025 start

PhD Students (Second Supervisor )
Aaliah Aktar , Part Time PhD in Chemical Engineering - Ongoing
PhD students (Third Supervisor):
Ella Wylie, Vice Chancellor's PhD Scholarship 2023 - PhD in Biochemistry 2024
Hongyan Song, PhD in Mechanical Engineering- Ongoing

MSc by Research (Second Supervisor):
Moses Oladipupo (On -going)

Past members of my Team and their career paths following my support supervision:

PDRAs (PI:VS):
Dr Martin J. Taylor (2018) - progressed to Lecturer in Chemical Engineering , University of Hull, UK.
Dr Kin Wai Cheah (2021)- progressed to Lecturer in Chemical Engineering , University of Teesside, UK.
PhD Students:
First Supervisor
Dr John Vourdoubas- PhD by Publications in Engineering (2016)- Freelance consultant
Dr Hassan Alabdrabalameer, PhD in Chemical Engineering (2022)
Second Supervisor
Dr Yasnaneh Osman, PhD in Chemical Engineering (2022) - First Supervisor: Dr S.Zein
Priyanka Priyanka - Split site 1 yr Commonwealth Scholarship 2023- Visiting PGR -UoH Supervisor: Dr M.J.Taylor

MSc by Research (First Supervisor):
Elem Eni MSc by Research (2017)

Graduate Interns:
Nancy N. Ogu (2021) - Graduate Intern (Research) - progressed to Production Engineer in Reckitt
Will McClean (2020)- Graduate intern (Research) - progress to Production Engineer in Enertek .

Research technicians:
Karl Hornsby (2022) - Thyme Refuel and Refuel2 Projects Technician - Pursued his MSc in Chemistry 2023, UoH.

Omoniteni Akinlotan (2022) - Thyme NaturAnt Fuels Research Technician - progressed to Project Support Officer - Low Carbon , City Council of Essex, UK.