Lancaster University opens £11m engineering building

EB2 features new pilot plant kit and robotics lab, and an increase in chemeng teaching staff

CHEMICAL engineering education is set for a significant boost at the UK’s Lancaster University following the opening of a new £11m engineering building.

Lancaster’s Engineering Building 2 (EB2) was officially opened on 9 September by Hayaatun Sillem, CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering, with guests given a tour of the new facility.

“Lancaster is famous for its ability to drive research that has potential for real societal impact,” Sillem said, adding that she expects the innovative new facilities will inspire students and staff alike. “That will have positive impacts for engineering as a whole, which in turn means that we can continue to be as productive and impactful as possible across this rich profession.”

The new building includes a teaching laboratory for chemical engineering and three specialised research labs for bioengineering, hydrogen, and wet chemistry.

Basu Saha, head of chemical engineering at the university, said: “EB2 features a lecture theatre, a large general engineering lab, a versatile mechanical lab, an electronics teaching lab and a computing design lab. As all our degree programmes feature a general engineering first year, chemical engineering students will have lab classes in all these spaces.”

Teaching staff increase

As part of the expansion, Lancaster has recruited five new chemical engineering faculty members and two additional chemical engineering technicians.

Saha said: “Overall, the new facilities in EB2 significantly enhance the practical, industrial, and theoretical training for chemical engineering students, better preparing them for the demands of the modern chemical industry.”

New lab equipment includes improved continuous reactors, high-pressure reactors, membrane reactors, a UV photocatalytic reactor, bioreactors, microfluidic devices, a solid oxide fuel cell testing facility, an electrochemical analyser, pyrolyser, and chromatography instruments.

“One notable addition is the pilot plant equipment, designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world industrial applications. This allows students to simulate large-scale chemical processes, providing them with a deeper insight into process dynamics, safety procedures, and scaleup challenges. The students will also have access to state-of-the-art computing facilities, which will be ideal for molecular simulations and machine-learning applications,” Saha said.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, there are 36 students enrolled in the second-year chemical engineering programmes. With the opening of EB2 for Open Days, UCAS interviews, and undergraduate admissions activities, Saha predicts a higher intake for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Research and outreach

With a growing emphasis on sustainable practices, Saha hopes the new labs will support research into a wide array of chemical, biochemical, and process engineering technologies and techniques including process intensification, catalysis, green membrane bioseparation, microfabrication techniques for biomimetics applications, and modelling for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

He also expects the new research facilities in EB2 will encourage his chemical engineering colleagues to establish collaborations with peers at other centres across Lancaster University, including the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation (CGE) and the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC).

“Additionally, we are planning outreach activities with local schools to promote diversity in engineering, highlighting the capabilities of these new EB2 facilities.”