Mark Walker

I am leader of the research theme 'Environment, Economy, and Society' at the Environmental Research Institue (ERI) based at North Highland College in Thurso. The research theme aims to understand the, often complex, impacts of industrial developments and environmental interventions considering all aspects of sustainability, with a focus on issues affecting rural, coastal and island areas and communities.

I originally trained as a Mechanical Engineer but spent my PhD working on the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) process for biogas production and organic waste management. In the subsequent 10 years as a researcher I continued to specialise in AD, but my work broadened to cover the development of a range of other environmental and energy technologies and their integration. 

I apply process engineering tools in order to design, optimise and inform the implementation of these systems, and develop coupled models to understand their economic and environmental impacts.

Expertise

Process modelling including biochemical, chemical and pyhisical models. 

Design, integration and optimisation of multivector energy systems

Technoeconomic assessment 

Model parameter estimation

Life-cycle assessment

Knowledge

Anaerobic digestion and biogas systems

Organic waste management

Bioenergy and biofuels

Integrated renewable energy systems

Biorefineries and biobased products

Bioremediation

Algal cultivation