Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH)
Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI)
CERTH was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Thessaloniki. It is a private legal entity, non-profit organization. As one of the most prominent research centres in Greece and Europe, its primary mission is to promote innovative research for the benefit of society as a whole. CERTH’s five Institutes focus on a broad range of fields, including clean energy, low/zero CO2 emission technologies, clean vehicle technologies, green hydrogen, climate change, artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, the Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, future smart home infrastructures, precision medicine, a holistic health-nutrition approach, autonomous vehicles, driving simulators, traffic control hubs, smart cities, precision agriculture, agro-robotics, and the circular economy. These fields are explored by the following Institutes: the Institute of Chemical Processes and Energy Resources (CPERI), the Institute of Information Technologies (ITI), the Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT), the Institute of Applied Biosciences (INAB), and the Institute of Bio-Economy and Agri-technology (IBO). Together with the organization’s Central Directorate, they employ over 1,600 individuals—primarily engineers and scientists—across 7 regions and 9 cities in Greece.
CERTH/CPERI
On March 30, 2012, the Chemical Process Engineering Research Institute merged with the Institute for Solid Fuels Technology and Applications to establish the Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI). One of its main research groups is Green Energy & Environmental Applications (GrEnEA) Lab which is located in Ptolemaida. GrEnEA having the experience of a successfully transition from solid fuels technologies to alternative fuels and clean technologies, through the last decade, is acting as a strategic player for the energy transition at regional level in EU to the decarbonization era. GrEnEA’s main scope of actions is based on two main pillars, a) the development and promotion of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in a wide range of applications, whilst keeping the expertise in clean carbon technologies with low
About the partnership
CERTH/CPERI as the leader of Work Package 6 ‘Energy Symbiotic Flow,’ is responsible for conducting a study for introduction of innovative RES technologies to DH systems, connection of a novel thermal system to CPERI building through an absorption chiller, delivering a study for utilizing of green H2 to a CHP fuel cell system and use of digital smart technologies towards improved energy management and control of DH system. In addition, as the leader of Task 8.4, ‘Energy Flow Implementation,’ CERTH oversees the implementation of the corresponding pilot and ensures its smooth operation.
Meet the Team
Panagiotis Grammelis
PhD – Scientific Responsible
Dr. Panagiotis Grammelis, is the Director of Research at the Institute of Chemical Processes and Energy Resources of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH/CPERI). He has more than 25 years of experience in energy production and environmental issues, specializing in the utilization of alternative fuels and low-carbon energy technologies. He leads a Scientific Group (consisting of 60 scientists) with a key role in the Energy Transition Era and the decarbonization period at the local and national levels. He participates in the coordinating committee of ETIPBioenergy, the Biomass Panel of the RHC-ETP Platform (responsible for large biomass installations), and the committees of GSRI for the Environment and the Decarbonization of the Greek Economy. He is a member of the Editorial Board of international journals such as IJER, IJGW, and Energies Journal/Fuels, as well as the scientific committees of international conferences (GCGW, EUBCE, WSED). A notable example of his work is the H2-HUB (emblematic action in the Master Plan for the post-lignite era in Western Macedonia, funding of 19,8 m€), a flagship research project focused on applying hydrogen technologies in the value chain.
Dionysios Giannakopoulos
PhD – Senior Researcher
Dr. Dionysios Giannakopoulos, is a Senior Researcher at the National Center for Research and Technological Development / Institute of Chemical Processes and Energy Resources (CERTH/CPERI), Director of Quality at the Accredited Certification Body (Notified Body CE 0617) for hot water boilers (CE Marking), and Director of Quality at the Environmental Measurement Unit of the Steam Boilers and Thermal Systems Laboratory at the National Technical University of Athens. He has over 25 years of experience in clean technologies for utilizing solid fuels, analysis of technical and economic characteristics of electricity generation systems, strategies and measures for reducing CO2 emissions, environmental management systems, combined heat and power systems, rational energy use, and strategies and measures for developing hydrogen and Fuel Cell technologies. He is a member of the Working Group of the Western Macedonia Region for the Preparation of the Transition to a Low Lignite Dependency Status within the EU’s Coal Regions in Transition Platform Initiative (2017-present).
Dimitrios-Sotirios Kourkoumbas
PhD – Project Manager
Dr. Dimitrios-Sotirios Kourkoumbas, is a senior research engineer at CERTH/CPERI since 2011. He received his PhD from National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) in sustainability and circular economy sector. He is a Mechanical Engineer from NTUA with Master of Science in Energy Production and Management (NTUA). He is specialized in the simulation and development of LCA/LCC for integrated advanced energy systems. His basic scope of research is the sustainable management of energy resources in environmental, economic and social terms under the framework of a circular economy approach focusing mainly on advanced biomass exploitation technologies with emphasis in biogas/biomethane, RES and energy storage solutions, waste management, CO2 utilization, design/development of solutions for smart factories and ecosystem restoration. In CERTH/CPERI, he leads the sustainability team and coordinates the activities in circular economy sector. He has participated as Senior Research Engineer and Senior Project Manager in EC and National funded project, as well as industrial projects.
Christos Evaggelou
PhD Candidate – Scientific Associate
Mr. Christos Evaggelou, is an Environmental Engineer, graduated from the Democritus University of Xanthi in 2014. He has a master’s degree in Energy Resource Technologies and Management at the University of Western Macedonia, Department of Mechanical Engineering. He has worked as an Environmental Engineer in both private and public sector, while he is now a Scientific Associate at the Chemical Processes and Energy Resources Institute (CPERI) of the Centre for Research and Technology – Hellas (CERTH). In addition, he is a PhD candidate at the University of the Western Macedonia, in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He possesses expertise in the utilization of alternative and renewable energy technologies and in the energy behaviour and upgrading of building infrastructures.
Funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions programme under grant agreement No 101095303, under topic HORIZON-CL4-2024-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-38 – Hubs for circularity for industrialised urban peripheral areas (Processes4Planet partnership) (IA).
