Medelyne Mero Benavides

Medelyne Mero Benavides is a chemical engineer with expertise in sustainable technologies for biomass conversion and renewable energy solutions. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from ESPOL Polytechnic University in Ecuador and a degree from the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s in Sustainable Biomass and Bioproducts Engineering, delivered across Poland, Spain and Finland. Her thesis investigated adsorption-based removal of pollutants from water and gaseous streams using hydrochar derived from sewage sludge.

She previously worked as a Research Technician at ESPOL Polytechnic University, contributing to agro-industrial decarbonization and circular bioeconomy initiatives, including bioenergy production through thermochemical pathways and the recovery of high-value products from organic residues. Throughout her academic and research career, she has developed strong expertise in biomass conversion processes, material characterization, process simulation and sustainability assessment, and has co-authored publications in the field. She thrives in multicultural and interdisciplinary environments, having collaborated with researchers and industry partners from diverse scientific backgrounds and nationalities.

As Doctoral Candidate 3 in the NEUTEN project, Medelyne is currently investigating catalytic gasification of sewage sludge for high-yield hydrogen production to support the development of scalable waste-to-hydrogen solutions at the University of Patras.