Niklas von der Assen
RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Title
Designing CCUS Systems with Life Cycle Thinking: From CO2 Capture to Utilization
Bio
Prof. Dr. Ing. Niklas von der Assen is Professor and Head of the Institute of Technical Thermodynamics at RWTH Aachen University. His research focuses on the sustainability assessment and optimization of international energy and industrial process systems, integrating life-cycle assessment (LCA) as a central design objective across methods, tools, and technical components. His team works on transition pathways for energy and process systems—particularly Power-to-X and sector coupling in the chemical and energy-intensive industries—alongside CCUS, Direct Air Capture, electrolysis, adsorption technologies, and molecular thermodynamics. Combining simulation and experimental validation of process prototypes, his work bridges fundamental thermodynamics and applied climate protection. He earned his doctorate summa cum laude from RWTH Aachen with a thesis on life-cycle design of carbon dioxide capture and utilization.
