Dr Homa Hamedi

Homa Hamedi joined Research Centre for Carbon Solutions in 2025 as a research associate. Her current research focuses on carbon dioxide removal via electrochemical processes within the multidisciplinary Drive project. The CETP-funded DRIVE (“Deep Removal of CO2 and Innovative Electrification concepts”) project (https://drive-co2.eu) supports a carbon-neutral society by showcasing technologies for the deep removal of carbon from industrial sources through thermally and electrochemically driven processes. For the first time, it provides a comprehensive assessment of these technologies, including technical, economic, and environmental analyses, as well as validation through long-term testing under real industrial conditions. Homa Hamedi is also involved in the USorb-DAC project. USorb-DAC (“Unlocking the Scalable Potential of Sorbent-based Direct Air Capture”) is an internationally collaborative, cutting-edge research initiative led by Heriot-Watt’s Research Centre for Carbon Solutions. The project aims to significantly reduce the cost and energy demands of capturing CO₂ directly from ambient air by integrating advanced sorbent materials with process modelling, techno-economic, and lifecycle analyses to enable cost-effective, scalable carbon removal. Homa’s work specifically focuses on process synthesis and the techno-economic evaluation of the system.

Homa Hamedi is a chemical/process engineer specializing in cryogenic, adsorption and membrane-based gas separation technologies, process systems engineering, and sustainable chemical processes. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the National University of Singapore (NUS), where her research focused on process optimization and integration for natural gas production plants. She also holds both her M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology in Iran. Before pursuing her Ph.D., she worked as a process and production engineer in the oil and gas industry, gaining hands-on experience in refining and petrochemical operations. ​Following her doctoral studies, she joined the Institute of Membrane Research at Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon in Germany as a research scientist. In this role, she has contributed to the development of membrane-based technologies for applications such as hydrogen purification and carbon dioxide utilization. Her work often involves techno-economic assessments and sustainability evaluations to promote environmentally friendly industrial practices.​ Throughout her career, she has authored several peer-reviewed articles in esteemed scientific journals. Her contribution also includes research on the sustainability assessment of thermocatalytic conversion of CO₂ to transportation fuels, methanol, and 1-propanol, providing insights into the environmental and economic aspects of these processes.​ Her work exemplifies a commitment to advancing chemical engineering practices through innovation in sustainable process development.

Research Associate

Process Design, Simulation and Optimization, Direct Air Capture, Machine Learning in chemical engineering, Hybrid Modelling, Low Carbon Fuels, Gas Separation (membrane, cryogenic, adsorption), Work and Heat Exchanger Network)