Lorena Martínez Esquinas, autor en IMDEA ENERGÍA

Blog Archives

December 18, 2025

IMDEA Energy brings together the SOLENER CM project consortium to analyse upcoming milestones in the solar-wind sector

On 16 December 2025, IMDEA Energy hosted the second scientific and administrative meeting of the SOLENER-CM project, which was attended in person by all the consortium partners (ICV-CSIC, CIEMAT, INTA, IMDEA Energy, UCM and UPM). The main objective of the meeting was to review the progress of the various project tasks, assess the degree of compliance with the milestones and deliverables achieved to date, and agree on the activity plan for 2026.

The day concluded with a technical visit to the IMDEA Energy facilities, specifically to the hybrid technology testing infrastructure with the plant balance container of a solid oxide electrolyser and a lithium-ion battery for the production of renewable hydrogen.

Overall, the meeting allowed for the consolidation of a common vision of the status of the project and laid the foundations for the coordinated and ambitious execution of the activities planned for 2026.

The SOLENER-CM project focuses on finding solutions for the energy system of the Community of Madrid, specifically on improving the manageability of renewable generation in a hybrid renewable park (solar-wind) coupled with improved hybrid conversion and storage systems.

December 17, 2025

The PREDFLEX-CM project holds its first-year review meeting at IMDEA Energy

On 16 december 2025, IMDEA Energy hosted a follow-up meeting of the PREDFLEX-CM project: Programme for digital, stable and flexible electrical networks, coordinated by the Electrical Systems Unit at IMDEA Energy. This working session brought together the participating research groups to review the progress of the project’s technical objectives and to strengthen coordination across the different activities, ranging from network planning and renewable energy integration to the application of artificial intelligence and hardware-in-the-loop emulation.

During the meeting, the teams shared progress, discussed upcoming milestones, and reinforced their alignment with the project’s goals, which aim to develop an intelligent system for energy monitoring and management in medium and low voltage networks. This approach seeks to facilitate the transition towards greater electrification and the integration of distributed energy resources through tools such as virtual power plants and digital twins.

Web: PREDFLEX-CM

December 15, 2025

IMDEA Energy holds the 14th young researchers workshop

On december 11 and 12, IMDEA Energy held the 14th young researchers workshop, an internal event that brought together the institute’s predoctoral and posdocotral researchers to share the progress of their scientific work and encourage the exchange of ideas across the different research units.

During the workshop, the young researchers presented their results through oral presentations and displayed a series of posters in the institute’s main hall.

At the end of the workshop, awards were given for the best scientific contributions, recognizing both the evaluation of the attending public and the jury. The awards were as follows:

Audience awards:

- Beatrice Fodor, Thermochemical Processes Unit and Advanced Porous Materials Unit, best predoctoral presentation

- Pedro Gerber, Systems Analysis Unit, best posdocotoral presentation

Jury awards:

- Sabeen Arshad, Thermochemical Processes Unit, best poster

- Guillermo Gortázar, Advanced Porous Materials Unit, best predoctoral presentation
- Beatrice Musig, High-Temperature Processes Unit, best posdoctoral presentation

In addition, the IMDEA Energy director recognized the best scientific contributions of the year:

- Josue Andino, Electrical Systems Unit, predoctoral category

- Paula Navalpotro, Electrochemical Processes Unit, and Sergio Carrasco, Advanced Porous Materials Unit, posdocotoral category

The 14th edition of the young researchers workshop concluded with the traditional Christmas coktail, a moment to celebrate the shared achievements of 2025 and toast to the year ahead.

December 5, 2025

IMDEA Energy and MathWorks bring together experts to tackle the challenges of modeling and simulation in complex energy projects

IMDEA Energy, in collaboration with MathWorks, hosted this thursday the technical workshop “Modeling and Simulaition in Complex Energy Projects: Challenges and Solutions”, an event that brought together specialists from academia, technology centers, and industry at the Institute’s headquarters to analyze the challenges the energy sector faces in developing advanced projects.

The session opende with Jesús Palma, representing IMDEA Energy, and Juan Nasarre from MathWorks, who both emphasized the growing importance of modeling and simulation as key tools for reducing risks and accelerating innovation in a sector undergoing a profound energy transition.

The program began with a keynote presentation by Milan Prodanovic, head of the Electrical Systems Unit at IMDEA Energy, who outlined the technical challenges associated with decarbonizing power systems. He was followed by Sid Attia from MathWorks Industry Marketing, who discussed digital workflows that enable progress from conceptual design to the deployment of energy solutions.

The event also featured contributions from leading companies in the field. Tecnalia, represented by Ángel Pérez, showcased simulation applications for designing active filters using advanced modulation techniques. Red Eléctrica Española, with a talk by Luis Ángel García Reyes, presented new tools for stability analysis and interactions in power systems with a high penetration of power-electronics converters.

In the energy storage segment, Hesstec’s Elyas Rakhshani addressed the modeling and control of hybid storage systems integrated into grid-forming architectures. Arteche, with speaker Aitor Salazar, delvered the talk “From Light to Bit”, focused on optical measurement technologies, while Norvento, represented by Mario Rizo, concluded the technical program with a presentation on the application of optimization techniques to the design of robust stability converters.

In addition to the technical sessions, attendees were offered a guided tour of the Smart Energy Integration Laboratory (SEIL), where IMDEA Energy is developing cutting-edge research in renewable integration, energy storage, and power electronics.

The event, aimed at renewable generation companies, grid operators, battery manufacturers, engineering firms, and technology companies, wrapped up with networking session.

December 4, 2025

IMDEA Energy Plays a Key Role in the First International Conference Promoting Women’s Research in MOFs

The 1st International Conference on EMPOWER Women in MOFs and Beyond brought together researchers, students, and specialists in the field of Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) in Mexico, with the aim of highlighting and recognising the scientific contributions of women and promoting more inclusive environments across STEM disciplines. Patricia Horcajada, Head of the Advanced Porous Materials Unit at IMDEA Energy, and Tania Hidalgo, Senior Assistant Researcher in the same unit, played a key role as members of the event’s organising committee.

Held across two locations—Mexico City and Mérida—the conference featured scientific presentations, round-table discussions, specialised workshops, and networking sessions designed to foster dialogue and collaboration among researchers at all career stages, both in academia and industry.

Beyond their involvement in the organisation, several IMDEA Energy researchers also took an active role in the programme, delivering scientific talks and presenting posters that showcased the institute’s latest advances in MOF research.

Through its prominent participation, IMDEA Energy reinforces its leadership in advanced materials research and its strong commitment to equality, diversity, and the promotion of female talent in science.

December 3, 2025

Science, industry and transport come together at IMDEA Energy to address the future of renewable hydrogen within the framework of the GreenH2-CM project

The IMDEA Energy Institute hosted a conference dedicated to renewable hydrogen, at which the latest advances in the GreenH2-CM regional project were presented. This project focuses on the development of technologies for the generation and use of green hydrogen in the Community of Madrid.

The event, conceived as a meeting point for the entire hydrogen value chain —from researchers and manufacturers to system integrators and end users in sectors such as transport and industry— brought together experts from scientific institutions, universities, engineering firms, energy companies, and industrial and logistics operators interested in the applications of this clean energy vector.

The conference began with an institutional opening by Jesús Palma (IMDEA Energy) and Mercedes Ballesteros (CIEMAT), who presented the Complementary Green Hydrogen Plan, a strategic initiative aimed at promoting the energy transition and fostering technological innovation in Spain.

Scientific advances: low- and high-temperature green hydrogen production

During the morning, the results of the project’s various lines of research were presented.

Araceli Fuerte (CIEMAT) discussed advances in the generation of low-temperature green hydrogen using renewable energy.

José González (IMDEA Energy) delved into high-temperature production, highlighting the potential of using industrial waste heat as a source of energy.

Teresa Leo (ETSIN-UPM) discussed the uses of hydrogen in heavy transport, as well as its gradual incorporation into the aviation and maritime sectors, which are key to the decarbonisation of transport.

After a break for networking, the programme continued with a second round of presentations:

Raquel Gómez (INTA) detailed the possibilities of hydrogen in industrial combustion applications.

Javier Dufour (IMDEA Energy) presented the Hydrogen Master Plan for Madrid, a fundamental roadmap for consolidating the role of hydrogen in the region.

The day ended with a round table discussion entitled ‘Renewable hydrogen as a driver of innovation and sustainability in the Community of Madrid’, with the participation of representatives from organisations such as ALSA, Ariema, CNH2, Repsol and Exolum. The speakers agreed on the need to accelerate the implementation of infrastructure, support pilot projects and encourage public-private collaboration so that green hydrogen can become a competitive energy vector.

Closing ceremony and visit to the facilities

To conclude the event, attendees visited the pilot facilities used in the GreenH2-CM project at IMDEA Energy, where they were able to see first-hand the demonstration technologies developed on the new plot of land set up as an outdoor experimental area adjacent to the Institute’s solar field. The day ended with a lunch that allowed for further discussions and exploration of new opportunities for collaboration.

December 1, 2025

IMDEA Energy and URJC explore opportunities for collaboration in AI

On Monday, a group of experts from the Higher Technical School of Computer Engineering at Rey Juan Carlos University visited IMDEA Energy with the aim of exploring possible opportunities for collaboration in the field of Artificial Intelligence.

The meeting, which was attended by researchers from all IMDEA Energy units, provided an opportunity to present various activities currently being carried out at the center, such as the automated laboratory in the Photoactivated Processes area, the development of algorithms in the Electrical Systems Unit, and the solar energy digitization strategies promoted by the High Temperature Processes Unit.

For their part, the URJC representatives presented several of the projects underway and the lines of collaboration they maintain with different companies, with the aim of identifying possible synergies and areas for joint work.

December 1, 2025

IMDEA Energy leads a new project that harnesses dairy industry wastewater to produce clean water and bioplastics

IMDEA Energy institute is coordinating an innovative new international project aimed at tackling two major environmental challenges: the global shortage of freshwater and the management of by-products from the dairy industry. The project, known as WAVE (Circular Bioconversion of Dairy Wastewaters into Bioplastics), seeks to develop an integrated process using microbial biotechnologies to reuse and convert dairy wastewater into new bioplastics.

The milk and cheese industries generate enormous volumes of wastewater every year, requiring specific and costly treatments. WAVE proposes turning this challenge into an opportunity by revalorising the entire wastewater fraction to obtain clean water suitable for irrigation and next-generation bioplastic materials, directly helping to relieve pressure on freshwater reserves and promoting circularity in water resource management.

According to Elia Tomás Pejó, Head of the Biotechnology Processes Unit at IMDEA Energy and coordinator of the project, “WAVE represents a unique opportunity to transform an environmental problem into a source of valuable resources. Our aim is to demonstrate that the treatment of dairy wastewater can go beyond conventional purification, becoming a driver for the production of sustainable bioplastics and reusable water.”

An Innovative Process, from Whey to High-Value Materials

The proposed process begins with the generation of short-chain fatty acids through anaerobic fermentation. These acids then serve as the basis for unconventional yeasts to produce single-cell proteins, which are later used to create new bioplastic materials. In this final stage, researchers will study the properties of proteins obtained from Debaryomyces strains —a type of yeast— to design bioplastics capable of replacing traditional petroleum-derived alternatives.

This conversion chain combines biotechnology and materials science in a unique process that yields essential outcomes: on the one hand, treated water with low salinity suitable for irrigating urban green spaces; on the other, sustainable bioplastics that could open new industrial opportunities. The project will thoroughly assess the quality and potential of both products in order to demonstrate the feasibility of a circular model that fully revalorises waste streams.

International Collaboration and Strategic Funding

The success of the WAVE project is ensured by a multidisciplinary consortium with extensive experience in developing innovative solutions in complementary fields such as chemistry, materials science, biotechnology, engineering and economics.

Researchers from IMDEA Energy (Spain) will work alongside the Technical University of Denmark (Denmark), the University of Valladolid (Spain), KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden), the International Hellenic University (Greece) and 21st BIO A/S (Denmark).

Regarding the strength of the team, Elia Tomás highlights that “the multidisciplinary consortium is key to achieving our objectives. We are confident that combining expertise in bioprocesses, materials and modelling will enable us to develop robust technologies that can be transferred to the productive sector.”

WAVE is funded by the European Union and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) through the State Research Agency (AEI), within the framework of the Water4All 2024 Joint Transnational Call (CIRCECO-WATER4ALL-279 / PCI2025-167116-2).

November 21, 2025

IMDEA Energy strengthens its role as a bridge between industry and sustainable research at GENERA 2025

IMDEA Energy returned once again to the International Energy and Environment Fair, GENERA, reinforcing its position as a key connector between research and industry. Through pioneering projects and collaborations across the energy sector, the institute showcased its commitment to innovation and the energy transition.

Over the three days of the fair, IMDEA Energy hosted an exhibition space within the Madri+d Foundation Pavilion and took part in Green Connect 2025, the Enterprise Europe Network business matchmaking event. The institute also organised four technical sessions that brought together companies, research centres, public authorities and leading energy-sector stakeholders, creating a forum for discussion on technologies essential to a sustainable transition.

The first session focused on green hydrogen and opened with an overview of electrolysis projects underway in Spain and Portugal, as well as the challenges still shaping their rollout—ranging from the need to create stronger demand to establishing clear regulatory frameworks, incentives and new investment. The discussion moved into hydrogen’s role in decarbonising hard-to-electrify sectors and reducing Europe’s energy dependence, highlighting capacity forecasts and the potential of technologies such as AEM. IMDEA Energy presented its progress in solid oxide electrolysis, a high-efficiency, high-temperature technology still under development, and shared updates on projects such as PROMETEO and GREENH2 aimed at integration with renewable energy sources. The session was moderated by Félix Marín (IMDEA Energy) with contributions from María Beatrice Falasconi (IMDEA Energy), Miguel Ángel Alonso (Alsa), Gonzalo Abellán (Matteco) and Carlos Alberto Prieto (Moeve).

The second session centred on digitalisation and artificial intelligence applied to solar thermal energy, as part of the Community of Madrid’s ACES4NET0-CM research programme. The session featured the new European initiatives SUN-DT and DIGISOLAR, launched in 2025 to support digitalisation in concentrated solar power. Speakers discussed new methodologies and tools for characterisation, predictive and preventive maintenance, and the creation of digital twins to improve the performance and management of CSP plants. Participants included Manuel Romero (IMDEA Energy), Diego Caro (ACCIONA Construction), Marcelino Sánchez (CENER), Daniel Carbonell (DCarbo Energy Consulting), Milan Prodanovic (IMDEA Energy), Óscar Balseiro (Solar Concentra – Protermosolar) and Juan Sebastián Valverde (VirtualMech).

The session on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) reviewed the latest advances in SAF production. The “Madrid Flies Sustainable” Innovation Hub was presented as an initiative connecting the different actors involved along the value chain. The speakers addressed aviation-related emissions and the urgent need to accelerate decarbonisation, emphasising SAF’s potential to cut lifecycle emissions by around 80% and the complementary role of operational improvements. The discussion also highlighted the opportunity for Spain to develop a strong national industry in this field and reviewed the main technological routes for producing SAF. The panel, moderated by Javier Ortiz (Repsol), included Javier Arnaldo (Airbus), Enrique Girón (Ariema), Javier Viña (Evoenzyme) and IMDEA Energy researchers Patricia Pizarro and Pedro Gerber.

The final session, dedicated to energy storage and conversion, explored solutions combining wind–solar hybrid systems, batteries and green hydrogen. Speakers analysed the technical and economic viability of these technologies, their potential to lower energy costs and the ways in which they can increase the penetration of renewables in the energy mix. The session also examined current challenges for both research and industry, and future pathways for integrating these solutions effectively. Within this framework, the SOLENER-CM project was presented, aiming to transform the energy system of the Community of Madrid and support a shift towards a more sustainable model. Participants included Jesús Palma (IMDEA Energy), Marina Villegas and Bárbara Fernández-Revuelta (Community of Madrid), Mario Carrero (H2Greem Global Solutions), Jadra Mosa (ICV-CSIC), Enrique García-Quismondo (IMDEA Energy), Miguel Manjón (Master Battery) and Miguel Martínez (UPM).

November 17, 2025

Energy technologies and artificial intelligence: keys to collaboration with Saudi Arabia

A delegation of 11 technicians and executives from the Saudi Arabian petrochemical company SIPCHEM visited the IMDEA Energy Institute on November 14 with the aim of exploring opportunities for collaboration focused on the development of energy technologies and the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to improve operational efficiency, optimize processes, capacity building, and the development of advanced products and services.

The Sipchem delegation was accompanied by a representative from ESCP Business School, and AI experts from the IMDEA Software and IMDEA Networks Institutes were also present.

Specific opportunities for scientific and technical cooperation were discussed with the attendees, who appreciated IMDEA Energy’s technological developments, the generation of data to feed AI models, and the fruitful collaboration between the institutes of the IMDEA network in solving industrial problems.

Visits were made to the automated, AI-assisted facility for the preparation and testing of catalysts, BRAINLAB, and the solar field of heliostats, which participates in several national and European projects for the digitization of renewable energy generation facilities and the application of AI in optimizing their operation.

12 3 4 Next ›Last »

ÚLTIMAS ENTRADAS