Ranjan Parajuli
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Arkansas
Ranjan Parajuli is a Research Associate at Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Arkansas (UARK). He completed his Ph.D from Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark. During his Ph.D research, he applied Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method for the assessments of potential environmental impacts of agricultural and biobased products production systems. He is proficient in LCA modelling of different types of agricultural crops, including annual and perennials. Environmental footprint assessment of the biomass conversions pathways, including in an integrated biorefinery is also among his expertise in LCA modelling.
Ranjan, a Nepalese citizen holds undergraduate degree in Agricultural Engineering from Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. From the same institution, he acquired M.Sc. in Renewable Energy Engineering. With a quest of more advanced learning on energy planning and management systems, he went for MSc. in Sustainable Energy Planning and Management from Aalborg University, Denmark. Besides, LCA, Ranjan’s expertise are on sustainable natural resource management and on delivering solutions for the promotion of sustainable energy options. During this career path, he worked with different national and international organizations with different capacities and responsibilities. Some of the exciting researches that he executed both at community and policy level, back in Nepal, were e.g. developing appropriate technologies to increase energy access to rural communities and formulating energy poverty reduction plans of the country. He was also involved in developing tools and mechanisms for assessing climate change vulnerabilities in the energy sector and thereby delineating climate change adaptive renewable energy plans.
Currently, at Department of Chemical Engineering, UARK, Ranjan is involved in a multidisciplinary project aimed at enhancing the productivity, resilience, and sustainability of domestically produce Fruits and Vegetables (F&V) supply chains of the US. The project evaluates various strategies that can be applied to pursue climate adaptation and mitigation opportunities in the US F&V supply chains, thereby helping the nation to maintain a nutritious, reliable, affordable and environmentally-sound food supply. Under this project, Ranjan, with a team at UARK has a task of modelling the agricultural supply chains during environmental climate stress and adaptation scenarios using LCA method.
Ranjan, as a LCA analyst, is interested to contribute and recommend for bringing noble solutions and alternative ways of producing materials and commodities with minimum environmental damages. He believes that combined production of food, feed, fuel and fibers from agricultural crops and residues is one of the utmost need to optimize the available resource and support green economy.
1. Parajuli R., Dalgaard T., Birkved M. (2018). Can farmers mitigate environmental impacts through combined production of food, fuel and feed? – a consequential life cycle assessment of integrated mixed crop-livestock system with a green biorefinery. Science of the Total Environment (619-620), 127-143.
2. Corona A., Parajuli R., Birkved M., et al. (2017-submitted). Environmental screening of potential biomass for green biorefinery conversion.
3. Djomo S.N., Knudsen M.T., Parajuli R., Hermansen JH., et al. (2017). Solving the multifunctionality dilemma in biorefineries with a novel hybrid mass-energy (HMEN) allocation method. Global Change Biology-Bioenergy 9 (11), 1674-1686.
4. Parajuli R., Dalgaard T., et. al., (2017). Environmental impacts of producing bioethanol and biobased lactic acid from standalone and integrated biorefineries using a consequential and an attributional life cycle assessment approach. Science of the Total Environment 598, 497-512.
5. Kafle S., Parajuli R., Kim D.H., et al. (2017). A review on Energy systems and GHG emissions reduction plan and policy of the Republic of Korea: past, present, and future. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73, 1123-1130.
6. Parajuli R., Dalgaard T., et al., (2017). Environmental life cycle assessment of producing willow, alfalfa and straw from spring barley as feedstocks for bioenergy or biorefinery systems. Science of the Total Environment 586, 226-240.
7. Parajuli R., Dalgaard T., et al., (2017). Environmental life cycle assessments of producing maize, grass-clover, grass and winter wheat straw for biorefinery. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142 (4), 3859-3871.
8. Kafle S., Parajuli R., Kim D.H., et al. (2016). Potential biomass supply for agro-pellet production from agricultural crop residue in Nepal. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects 38(1), 149-153.
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9. Kafle S., Parajuli R., Kim D.H., et al. (2016, on-press). Forest-Based Biomass Supply Potential and Economics for the Pellet Production in Nepal. International Journal of Green Energy.
10. Parajuli R., Dalgaard T., et al., (2015). Multi-criteria assessment of yellow, green, and woody biomasses: pre-screening of potential biomasses as feedstocks for biorefineries. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining 9, 545-566.
11. Parajuli R., Dalgaard T., et al., (2015). Biorefining in the prevailing energy and materials crisis: a review of sustainable pathways for biorefinery value chains and sustainability assessment methodologies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 43(0), 244-63.
12. Parajuli R., Dalgaard T., et al., (2015). Environmental performance of Miscanthus as a fuel alternative for district heat production. Biomass and Bioenergy 72(0), 104-116.
13. Parajuli R., Løkke S., et al., (2014). Life Cycle Assessment of district heat production in a straw fired CHP plant. Biomass and Bioenergy 68(0), 115-34.
14. Parajuli R., Østergaard PA., et al. (2014). Energy consumption projection of Nepal: An econometric approach. Renewable Energy 63(0), 432-44.
15. Parajuli R, Østergaard PA., et al. (2014). A comparison of diesel, biodiesel and solar PV-based water pumping systems in the context of rural Nepal. International Journal of Sustainable Energy 33(3), 536-53.
16. Parajuli R., (2014). Economics of biodiesel production in the context of fulfilling 20% blending with petro-diesel in Nepal. International Journal of Sustainable Energy 33(2), 435-47.
17. Parajuli R, Sperling K., et al., (2013). Beyond oil and gas: possible future scenarios for the electricity sector in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Sustainable Energy 34(2), 71-92.
18. Parajuli R., (2012). Looking into the Danish energy system: Lesson to be learned by other communities. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16(4), 191-9.
19. Parajuli R., (2011). Access to energy in Mid/Far west region-Nepal from the perspective of energy poverty. Renewable Energy 36(9), 2299-304
Recent Projects
- Life Cycle Assessment of Fruits and Vegetables Supply Chains
- LCA studies on a mixed crop-livestock farming system integrated with green biorefinery
- Environmental footprints of biomasses for bioenergy and biorefinery systems
July 2017-ongoing: Research Associate, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.
• Life Cycle Assessment of Fruits and Vegetables Supply Chains.
• Project documentation and reporting including manuscript preparations.
January 2017 – July 2017: Research Assistant, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University (AU), Denmark (DK).
• LCA studies on a mixed crop-livestock farming system integrated with green biorefinery.
• Partly teaching about energetics to agroecosystem.
Aug 2013 – Oct 2016: PhD Fellow, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University (AU), Denmark (DK), on “Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Biomass and Biorefinery Production Chains: Using a Life Cycle Assessment Approach”.
• Environmental footprints of biomasses for bioenergy and biorefinery systems.
• Teaching on energetics to agroecosystem.
Sep 2012 – Jan 2013: Internship, Department of Agroecology, AU, DK.
• Undertook a study, LCA of Miscanthus as a fuel alternative for district heat production
Aug 2010 – Aug 2011: Program Officer -Climate and Energy Plan, Climate and Carbon Unit (CCU), Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), Ministry of Environment, Government of Nepal.
• Technical support and coordinate for designing a District Climate and Energy Plan (DCEP) preparation guideline.
Aug 2009 – Aug 2010: Renewable Energy Consultant (Advisor), SNV Netherlands Development Organization Nepal.
• Capacity development and institutional strengthening of renewable energy service providers.
• Technical support and coordination to upscale renewable energy technologies in rural mid and high hills of mid-far west Nepal.
• Strengthening coordinative approach to increase energy access to rural communities.
Sep 2008 – May 2009: Energy Coordinator (Consultant), Practical Action Nepal.
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• Coordination of the study entitled ‘Study to Determine Outline Plans for Eliminating Energy Poverty in Nepal”.
Feb 2007 – Sep 2008: Program Officer, Centre for Rural Technology (CRT/N), Nepal.
• Undertake research and development of biomass, pico/micro hydro, solar thermal energy technologies for innovation, optimization of performance, cost and transfer.
May 2005 – Feb 2007: Engineer, Flensburg Association for Energy Management (FAEM-Nepal).
• Field coordination, enumeration, analysis and reporting of projects related to rural enterprise-based energy solutions.
• Socio-economic evaluation of rural electrification for pumping irrigation water in terrain belt of Nepal.
2013-2016: PhD, Department of Agroecology, AU, DK.
2011-2013: M.Sc. in Sustainable Energy Planning and Management, Aalborg University, Denmark.
2006-2009: M.Sc. in Renewable Energy Engineering, Tribhuvan University (TU), Institute of Engineering (IOE), Nepal
2000-2004: Bachelor’s in Agriculture Engineering, TU, IOE, Nepal.
1997-2000: Diploma in Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineering, TU, IOE, Nepal.
College of Engineering
4183 Bell Engineering Center
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR, 72701
rparajul@uark.edu
