PhD thesis defence: «Application of computational chemistry techniques to electrochemical energy storage problems»
On 16 January at 11:00 a.m., Carlos de la Cruz Pérez will publicly defend his doctoral thesis, developed at the Electrochemical Processes Unit of IMDEA Energy and supervised by Rebeca Marcilla, head of the unit, and Andreas Mavrantonakis.
The defence will be held in the Sala de Grados in Building A of the Faculty of Chemistry (UCM).
Beyond emissions: the social challenges of the energy transition in Spain until 2050
The transformation of the Spanish electricity system towards a renewable model will not only involve technological and environmental changes, but also profound social consequences. This is the warning issued by a new study carried out by Rey Juan Carlos University and IMDEA Energy (Electrical Systems and Systems Analysis Units), which develops a prospective framework that integrates energy modelling and social life cycle analysis to assess the possible impacts of energy strategies for 2050 on issues such as working conditions and gender equality.
By incorporating a future projection of the electricity mix in Spain, the authors explore how social impacts would evolve in an energy transition scenario without structural changes in the overall social context. This methodological approach brings to light the ‘invisible’ social impact associated with the green transition in terms of child labour, forced labour, gender gap and contribution to economic development. Thus, it becomes clear that, although the general trend shows a reduction in social impacts with the implementation of new technologies, we are still far from achieving zero social impact, which is the goal to strive for.
This study opens up new avenues for integrating this type of social analysis into the context of energy planning. Without policies that promote responsible supply chains, the energy transition risks being environmentally successful but not necessarily fair from a social perspective.
IMDEA Energy works on the digitisation and improvement of the efficiency of solar thermal power plants
IMDEA Energy, together with nine other international organisations, including IMDEA Networks, is participating in the European SUN-DT project to promote the digital transition of solar thermal tower plants.
These plants use thousands of mirrors (heliostats) that track the position of the sun and concentrate its light onto a receiver located at the top of the tower. There, very high-temperature heat is generated, which is then converted into electricity. Despite the advantages of this manageable thermal technology, its performance still depends on highly complex field operations, with thousands of heliostats and elements such as the solar receiver and storage system that must work in perfect synchrony. Therefore, digitising them is key to maximising their efficiency, cutting costs and accelerating their deployment.
Within this initiative, IMDEA Networks is leading the development of the 5G wireless communications layer that will enable their characterisation and calibration. Thanks to this system, it will be possible to automatically detect any misalignment in real time and recommend corrective actions. Instead of scheduling complete maintenance rounds, operators will only adjust the mirrors that actually require intervention.
This operation directly improves optical efficiency and saves numerous hours of field work, a key contribution to the large-scale deployment of this tool. In addition, it provides reliable links.
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.
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
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:
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Beatrice Fodor, Thermochemical Processes Unit and Advanced Porous Materials Unit, best predoctoral presentation
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Pedro Gerber, Systems Analysis Unit, best posdocotoral presentation
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Jury awards:
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Sabeen Arshad, Thermochemical Processes Unit, best poster
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Guillermo Gortázar, Advanced Porous Materials Unit, best predoctoral presentation
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Beatrice Musig, High-Temperature Processes Unit, best posdoctoral presentation
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In addition, the IMDEA Energy director recognized the best scientific contributions of the year:
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Josue Andino, Electrical Systems Unit, predoctoral category
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Paula Navalpotro, Electrochemical Processes Unit, and Sergio Carrasco, Advanced Porous Materials Unit, posdocotoral category
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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.
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.
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.
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.
