Green Process Engineering

Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

green
ICFAR Facility, Ilderton, Ontario

 

Green Process Engineering
The Green Process Engineering program is the first of its kind in Canada. Its basic objective is to combine and integrate the fundamental principles of chemical engineering to design commercial products and processes that are safe, economical and environmentally friendly.

Traditional Environmental Engineering concentrates on treating emissions and waste. In contrast, Green Process Engineering focuses on developing products and processes that are inherently clean and sustainable.

Upon completing Western Engineering's Common First Year, students can apply to the Green Process Engineering program. Once accepted, students will develop the necessary skills to design green products and processes by combining and applying principles of chemical and biochemical engineering. There are three options in the program:

  1. Green Process Engineering (regular BESc, 4 years including the common 1st year).
  2. Green Process Engineering with Management (BESc/HBA in 5 years)
  3. Green Process Engineering with Law (BESc/JD in 6 years)

Students enter one of the two programs following a general Year 1 that is common to all the engineering disciplines.

The training of undergraduate students in Green Process Engineering will fulfill a need that is not addressed by traditional engineering programs. Graduates of the Green Process Engineering program will have employment opportunities in broad-based areas such as biofuels, green power, and green chemical products and processing industries. Detailed course outlines are available here.

Western's Green Process Engineering program is achieving wide recognition in the community:

  • The most recent issue of Engineering Dimensions, the official publication of Professional Engineers Ontario, highlights "The University of Western Ontario's innovative Green Process Engineering program" in an editorial and an article on Sustainability. For more details, see Engineering Dimensions.

  • Corporate Knights has released its best practices report for 2010, which "highlight standout initiatives, courses and activities that are currently in place in the Canadian engineering programs". They selected the Green Process Engineering program!


    • Most of the instructors for Western's Green Process Engineering Program are accomplished researchers who are working with industrial and government partners to develop Green Process Engineering solutions.