Professor's portrait: Hailong Li

Hailong Li, professor of engineering. School of Business Society and Engineering , Division of Sustainable Energy Systems.

Can you briefly describe your academic career – what choices have brought you to where you are today?

I got my PhD degree in chemical engineering from KTH in 2008. Before I started my career at MDU in 2010, I had been working as a research scientist at SINTEF Energy, Norway, for two years. My first position at MDU was Forskassitant. In 2014, I became a senior lecturer shortly after I got my Docent. In 2020, I was promoted to a full professor at MDU.

Please tell us more about your research area

My research interest mainly lies in the development of low carbon emission energy systems that can assist the transition of the fossil fuel based energy system and contribute to the sustainable development of modern society. One of my focuses is to improve the flexibility of the energy system in order to accommodate more intermittent renewable energy. The integration of different energy storage technologies is a key measure. Developing innovative CO2 capture technologies is another important topic. Its integration with bioenergy can achieve negative emission of CO2, which is an essential strategy to realize the net zero emission goal of Sweden.

How would you describe your research environment at MDU?

The research environment at MDU is quite open and friendly. As a researcher, I am free to choose my topics and the support from and collaborations with colleagues make doing research more fun and easier.

What is the driving force in your research?

My personal interest is the primary driving force. I like doing research because helping the industry to solve their problems is a happy thing. My research is also driven by the responsibility. The climate change has become a global concern and everyone has the responsibility to protect the earth. As researcher, we need to carry more responsibility to achieve our goals of climate.

Which research topics are particularly important for you?

I have been working on CO2 capture for almost 20 years. That is one of my key expertise.

How do you see becoming a professor right now at the stage that MDU is at as a new University?

Becoming a university means more focus on research, which definitely provides us, as researchers, more opportunities. The new vision of MDU will also motivate us to improve the quality of our research, expand our scope and explore new innovations.

What's the best thing about doing research at MDU?

Cooperating with the industry is the best thing in doing research, especially in energy engineering. Their appreciation is the best award to our work.