The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in their recent report issued a code red that there is an imminent risk we will reach 1.5°C warming in the near term if emissions continue at their current rates. Therefore, it is essential to accelerate the rate of decarbonisation needed to deliver a 1.5°C aligned net zero world by 2050. The aftermath of COP26 in Glasgow has left us with some incremental progress. But is this enough? And where does this leave developing nations in the fight against climate change? 

Various countries have announced national commitments to reduce their emissions by a target date. Most recently, Malaysia has echoed the language of developed countries with the goal to be “carbon neutral” or achieve “net zero” emissions by 2050. This was announced in the 12th Malaysia Plan. Net zero ambition is welcomed, and Malaysia clearly wants to be perceived as proactive in this area. To achieve these targets, a clearly structured plan needs to be put in place. Thus, it is essential for us to have the right tools for us to efficiently plan and deploy future energy systems that help cut emissions.

This webinar will provide some examples of how mathematical models have been used to plan regional renewable energy deployment for carbon emission reductions. These examples would be of interest to policymakers, decision-makers, chemical/process engineers, researchers and students involved in the energy sector. 

Dr Viknesh Andiappan is an Assistant Professor at Heriot-Watt University, Malaysia Campus. His area of specialization centers on the development of systematic design approaches for biomass energy systems and supply chains. His research aims to integrate process design and operational considerations simultaneously. His research interests also include process synthesis and analysis of energy systems, synthesis of integrated biorefineries, industrial symbiosis planning as well as energy planning for greenhouse gas emission reduction. Most recently he has embarked on developing decision-making models for sustainable agriculture planning. He spends his time working on mathematical programming, multi-objective optimization, input-output modelling, game theory models, process simulation and Process Integration tools such as pinch analysis.

Dr Andiappan is well-published and well-cited for a young researcher (over 70 publications with an h-index of 13) and presented several papers in various conferences. He was also shortlisted as a finalist for the IChemE Young Researcher Malaysia Award (2018 and 2019) and the Heriot-Watt University PRIME Award (2021). Dr Andiappan is also an editorial board member for internationally peer-reviewed journals such as Process Integration and Optimization for Sustainability (PIOS) and Frontiers in Sustainability (Sustainable Chemical Process Design). He is a member of the reviewer board for Processes Journal. In addition, he serves as a technical committee member for several conferences. Dr Andiappan also collaborates closely with well-known international researchers from Malaysia, Philippines, India, Japan, Taiwan and United Kingdom. He led and completed a COVID-19 research grant, which worked on developing an economic analysis model to formulate post-pandemic recovery strategies for the agro-industry in both Malaysia and the Philippines. Most recently, he was awarded the IBAE Young Researcher of the Year Award in 2020 for his contributions and achievements in research. 

Aside from research, Dr Andiappan is a Professional Engineer with the Board of Engineers Malaysia and a Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). He also serves as the Deputy Chair for the IChemE Palm Oil Processing Special Interest Group (POPSIG) and was previously the University Roadshow Director. As the University Roadshow Director, he led efforts to promote the palm industry and the opportunities for chemical engineers, to young chemical engineering undergraduate students in universities around Malaysia.

The material presented in this webinar has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter’s own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Malaysia Members Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.