Contact Dr Stuart Wagland

Areas of expertise

  • Biomass and Waste
  • Carbon, Climate and Risk
  • Energy and the Environment
  • Renewable Energy
  • Waste Management and Resource Efficiency

Background

Dr Wagland is an experienced waste management professional, applying his background in chemistry to understanding waste characteristics, developing novel analysis techniques and recovering value from waste materials. He has a PhD in waste chemistry from Cranfield University and his other degrees include a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry and an MSc in Display Technology (physics, chemistry and electronic engineering).

Dr Wagland is a Chartered Chemist [CChem], a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry [FRSC], and a Fellow of the Higher Education Association [FHEA]. Since commencing his academic career, Dr Wagland has also obtained a PgCert in Academic Practice (awarded in 2016).

Dr Wagland joined Cranfield in 2009 as a Research Fellow, progressing to Academic Fellow in 2011, Lecturer in 2012, Senior Lecturer in 2017 and Reader in 2022.

Dr Wagland has expertise in the properties of solid waste materials, the recovery of resources, the energy potential of UK waste streams and enhanced landfill mining. His expertise spans waste and fuel characterisation techniques, waste treatment technologies and energy recovery processes (including anaerobic digestion, incineration, gasification and pyrolysis). Dr Wagland's work on UK-wide assessment of waste contributed to substantial government investment in a demonstrator advanced thermal treatment facility aimed at accelerating the development of the UK capability in advanced thermal conversion.

Research opportunities

I am currently recruiting for doctoral research students in the areas of waste management, enhanced landfill mining and resource recovery. Please get in contact if you are interested in pursuing a doctorate in this area.

Current activities

Dr Wagland is a Reader in Energy and Environmental Chemistry, based in the Centre for Renewable and Low Carbon Energy. Dr Wagland is the Deputy Director of Research for the School of Water, Energy and Environment.

Current and recent projects include those funded by EU Horizon 2020, Innovate UK, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and private waste companies. Dr Wagland's research applies waste chemistry to recover value from solid wastes. Previous work includes innovative rapid characterisation techniques, image analysis of mixed wastes and town-scale advanced thermal treatment of wastes. His work has extended to developing countries, funded by a recent Innovate UK grant to derive liquid fuels from the pyrolysis of wastes.

Combining expertise in waste chemistry, characterisation techniques and conversion processes, Dr Wagland is also working on critical resource recovery from enhanced landfill mining. His research in enhanced landfill mining has been work is funded through the EPSRC (doctoral training programme) and EU Horizon 2020 projects, including SMART GROUND and the NEW MINE Marie Curie training network. The current REGENERATIS project, funded by Interreg North-West Europe, European Regional Development Fund, explores the recovery of metals from past metallurgical sites and deposits.

Dr Wagland is a steering committee member of the European Enhanced Landfill Mining Consortium (EURELCO), which has a membership of over 50 organisations from across the EU. Dr Wagland coordinates the UK Enhanced Landfill Mining Network (https://elfm-network.co.uk/).

Clients

  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
  • Innovate UK
  • National Physical Laboratory
  • Viridor Ltd
  • WestAfricaENRG

Publications

Articles In Journals

Conference Papers

Books