Postdoctoral Researcher
E-mail: alonso.albalateramirez@maastrichtuniversity.nl
ORCID: 0000-0002-6467-6937
Related Projects: ULTRA-BIO
The transition towards sustainable and circular food and bio-based systems requires not only environmentally-sound solutions, but also technologies that are economically viable and scalable. Over the past years, my research has focused on the integrated assessment of waste management and bio-based valorisation pathways, with a strong emphasis on eco-efficiency analysis and techno-economic assessment alongside environmental evaluation. These approaches are essential to understand the trade-offs between environmental performance, economic feasibility, and system design, particularly for emerging circular technologies that are still far from market maturity.
My work has primarily addressed food loss and waste management and bioenergy systems, including anaerobic digestion, biohydrogen production, and other waste-to-resource pathways. Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a core methodological framework, I have evaluated the environmental performance of these systems under different operational scales, technological configurations, and regional contexts.
My current research focuses on advancing and harmonizing LCA methodologies for novel circular and biobased materials, addressing key methodological challenges such as system boundary definition, allocation choices, End-of-Life modelling, and comparability across studies. Another central objective of my work is to contribute to the integration between Life Cycle Assessment and circularity assessments, bridging environmental impact evaluation with indicators that better capture circular performance, resource efficiency, and system-level sustainability.
Previous Education
- PhD. in Sustainable Processes, specialised in Geographical Life Cycle Assessment of the Food Supply Chain, and Eco-efficiency and Techno-economic Assessments of Waste-to-Energy technologies in Latin America. Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Research Centre, Autonomous University of Nuevo León (2022 – 2025)
- MSc. in Sustainable Processes, specialised in Life Cycle Assessment of biological Waste-to-Energy systems. Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Research Centre, Autonomous University of Nuevo León (2020 – 2022)
- BSc. in Chemical Engineering. Chemical and Environmental Engineering Department, Autonomous University of Nuevo León (2015 – 2020)
Skills & Expertise
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
- Eco-efficiency and techno-economic assessment
- Circular economy and circularity metrics
- Food loss and waste valorisation
- Bioenergy and biobased systems