Hon-Chung Lau, adjunct professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering (ChBE) at Rice University, has been named a 2022-23 Distinguished Lecturer by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).
The theme of his SPE lecture series is “The Role of CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) and Hydrogen in the Energy Transition.” Lau is currently lecturing in Australia.
“The ongoing energy transition from a high- to low-carbon economy requires more than harnessing renewable energies. Only 11 percent of global energy consumption comes from renewable energy while 85 percent comes from fossil fuels,” Lau said.
“The current pace of installing renewable power plants is inadequate for nations to achieve net-zero by the second half of the century. That will require each country to decarbonize all three major energy consumption sectors: power, transport and industry.”
In 2021, Professor Lau founded Low Carbon Energies, a consulting firm focusing on the energy transition. He outlined five strategies for decarbonizing the major energy consumers: renewable energy, CSS, hydrogen, nuclear energy and reducing energy demand.