Background
Esther holds an interdisciplinary master’s degree in Energy Engineering from Chonbuk National University, where she graduated with a perfect score. Her master’s thesis focused on the synthesis of novel perovskite nanomaterials (Ba, Sr, Pb)TiO3 for the fabrication of dye sensitized solar cells. Following her studies, she applied her technical expertise in the design, engineering, and installation of over 1MW of solar photovoltaic systems and 75,000Ah of battery storage capacity across various locations in Nigeria. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Sustainable Hydrogen at Loughborough University, where her research focuses on producing green hydrogen from waste.
Key Awards
- Fully funded Sustainable Hydrogen CDT PhD Studentship, Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical, and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University (50% EPSRC, 50% University funded)
- Vice-Chair, DREB 2024–2025
- IAS Doctoral Leader, 2024–2025
- Vice Chancellor’s Gold Award Winner, 2024
- Sir David Wallace Trophy Winner, 2024
- Service to Doctoral Researchers Communities Award Winner, 2024
- Henry Royce Institute Sandpit Winner, 2023
- Fully funded Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) for master’s degree
- Hansae Yes24 Foundation Excellence Scholar Award (master’s Program)
PhD Thesis Title:
Synthesis of Green Hydrogen Using Microwave Plasma Gasification for Waste-to-Energy Conversion in Nigeria
Nigeria possesses significant untapped bioenergy potential, with municipal solid waste (MSW) and agricultural residues theoretically capable of producing over 40 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy annually. Despite this, large-scale waste-to-energy (WtE) initiatives remain underutilized due to systemic issues such as poor waste segregation, limited infrastructure, and policy shortcomings.
Esther’s research explores microwave plasma gasification (MPG) as a high-efficiency thermochemical conversion pathway for producing green hydrogen from Nigeria’s heterogeneous, high-moisture waste streams. MPG technology offers unique advantages in terms of energy density, thermal stability, and environmental performance, making it a viable solution for addressing both Nigeria’s energy deficit and waste management challenges. Her research focuses on both simulation modelling and experimental validation.
Supervisors: Dr Richard Blanchard, Dr Simon Kondrat