Julien Blondeau

Julien Blondeau received his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL) in 2005. He began his career as a design engineer at Tractebel Engineering, focusing on nuclear and combined cycle power plants. In 2008, he returned to UCL as a teaching assistant, working with Pr. Jeanmart. His Ph.D. thesis on biomass combustion, developed in collaboration with Laborelec (the research center of ENGIE), set the foundation for his future work. Joining Laborelec in 2012 as an expert and later as a Technology Manager, Julien specialized in combustion, flue gas treatment, and emission monitoring. In 2016, he was appointed as a professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

Julien is deeply engaged in promoting clean heat and power production, emphasizing renewable fuels such as biomass, waste, hydrogen, and other energy carriers, as well as multi-energy systems. His industrial background provides a practical understanding of operational challenges and pollutant emission control.

Committed to an equitable and affordable energy transition, Julien leads interdisciplinary projects that involve extensive stakeholder engagement, including citizens and authorities, to design citizen-centered clean energy systems. 

Currently, Julien heads the FLOW group at VUB and co-heads BRITE. He serves as the academic coordinator of the joint VUB-ULB faculty of engineering BRUFACE. Additionally, he coordinates the Bioenergy Thematic Group of the Belgian Energy Research Alliance (BERA) and sits on the board of the Belgian Section of the Combustion Institute, as well as in the Standard Committee of the Sustainable Biomass Program. Julien is also a member of the Expert Committee on Climate for the Brussels-Capital Region and he coordinates the Energy Room of the House of Sustainable Transitions.