Sustainability Engineering

Eric C. D. Tan is an accomplished expert in biorefinery and sustainability at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). His research interests and experiences include biorefinery, process intensification, decarbonization, bioeconomy, hydrogen economy, circular economy, and sustainability, where he has over 100 published works. At NREL, Dr. Tan provides leadership spanning many research areas and plays a key role in the conceptual process design and assessment of various biomass conversion pathways to produce low-carbon, infrastructure-compatible, cost-competitive liquid hydrocarbon fuels. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Akron and a master’s in Sustainability from Harvard University (Extension). He is the Associate Editor of Frontiers of Sustainability’s Sustainable Chemical Process Design, a technical advisor and vice-chair of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Sustainable Engineering Forum Leadership Team, and an American Center for Life Cycle Assessment certified LCA professional.

1. Lignin-based Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage Devices, 2. Hydrocracking of Palm Oil into Biofuel over Ni-Al2O3-Benonite (Aluminosilicate) Nanocatalyst, 3. Optimization-based Development of a Circular Economy Adoption Strategy, 4. "Waste"-to-energy for Decarbonization: Transforming Nut Shells into Carbon-negative Electricity, 5. Carbon Recycling: Waste Plastics to Hydrocarbon Fuels, 6. Recycling Plastic Waste to Produce Chemicals: A Techno-economic Analysis and Life-cycle Assessment, 7. Municipal Water Reuse for Non-potable and Potable Purposes, 8. An Ethical Reflection on Water Management at the Community Level as a Contribution to Peace, 9. Human Behavior Dynamics in Sustainability, 10. Regional Sustainable Technology Systems, 11. Renewable Microgrids as a Foundation of the Future Sustainable Electrical Energy System, 12. Applications of Electrochemical Separation Technologies for Sustainability: Case Studies in Integrated Processes, Material Innovations, and Risk Assessments, 13. All-electric Vertical Take-off and Landing Aircraft (eVTOL) for Sustainable Urban Travel, 14. Current Progress in Sustainability Evaluation, Pollution Prevention, and Source Reduction Using GREENSCOPE, 15. Germany’s Industrial Climate Transformation Strategy and the Role of Carbon Capture and Utilization as a Building Block: Targets, Pathways, Policies, and Societal Acceptance.