Paul Balcombe

Dr Paul Balcombe is a Reader in Chemical Engineering and Renewable Energy at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), serving as Programme Director for Chemical Engineering undergraduate and postgraduate programs. He holds affiliations with the Centre for Sustainable Engineering and the Centre for Intelligent Transport. His expertise lies in developing probabilistic emissions/cost models for energy supply chains, with a focus on methane emissions from natural gas, biogas, hydrogen, and ammonia.

Dr Balcombe earned an MEng and PhD from the University of Manchester, followed by a chartered engineer designation. He spent five years at Imperial College London as a Research Fellow, leading the Methane and Environment Programme at the Sustainable Gas Institute. His research addresses decarbonization strategies, energy policy, and the role of fossil fuels in climate targets.

Education:

• MEng in Chemical Engineering, University of Manchester (2002–2006)
• PhD in Chemical Engineering and Environmental Economics, University of Manchester (2010–2014)

Research Interests:

• Methane emissions mitigation and measurement
• Hydrogen and ammonia supply chain analysis
• Energy policy and decarbonization pathways
• Techno-economic assessments of energy systems

Grants:

• £636,740 – FUMES 2: Methane Emissions from Ships (2024–2026)
• £415,038 – EMPreSS: Methane Monitoring UAV System (2024–2027)
• £121,800 – BP-funded Methane Measurement Strategy (2022)

Advising & Labs:

• Postdoctoral Researchers: Dalia Heggo (methane measurement strategies), Tahereh Mansouri (drone-based emissions)
• PhD Students: Maria Olczak (European methane reduction), Junbo Huang (China hydrogen analysis), Luke Dubey (methane modeling)

Awards: None explicitly listed, but recognized for contributions to sustainable energy research.