Dermot Roddy joined Newcastle University in August 2007 as Science City Professor of Energy. The ambition is to establish the North East of England as a trail blazer on the journey to the low-carbon economy of the future. He is also Director of the Sir Joseph Swan Institute for Energy Research.

Before coming to Newcastle University Professor Roddy was Chief Executive of Renew Tees Valley Ltd – a company which he himself set up in 2003 to create a viable and vibrant economy in the Tees Valley based on renewable energy and recycling. The company’s interests include a range of renewable energy technologies, hydrogen, liquid and solid biofuels, and a range of recycling and advanced waste processing technologies.

Prior to that, he ran the Petroplus crude oil refinery on Teesside as site director for a $1 bn-turnover facility before moving to The Netherlands to work on Petroplus’ international growth plans. I worked in the chemical industry from 1985 to 2002, based predominantly on Teesside, in a variety of local and international roles in operations, engineering and technology with ICI and others.

Before coming to Teesside, he developed leading-edge technology at Queen’s University, Belfast, for optimisation and control in aerospace applications.

A regular contributor to The Great Debate, Dermot Roddy was on the panel of The Great Debate: Getting Real About Energy in Vienna, May 2010 ( Video of proceedings), chaired the debate on The Future of Energy on 20 March 2010 and was on the panel at The Great Sustainable Energy Debate in October 2008.

"Linking Underground Coal Gasification to CCS and the downstream opportunities", Processdings of the 25th Annual International Pittsburgh Coal Conference, September 2008.

“Integration and evolution of biomass and biofuel technologies”, Proceedings of World Renewable Energy Congress – X, July 2008.

"Development of Affordable, Low-Carbon Hydrogen Supplies at an Industrial Scale", Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, volume 28, issue 2, April 2008.

“Bulk production & storage of hydrogen”, I Chem E/ I Mech E conference: Sourcing the hydrogen economy, London, January 2004.

“Making a viable fuel cell industry happen in the Tees Valley”, Fuel Cells Bulletin, Elsevier Press, January 2004.

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The Great Debate: Getting Real About Energy video

Dermot Roddy

Sir Joseph Swan Institute for Energy Research

IRES

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