Rate My Professor Dawei Wu

Professor Dawei Wu is the MOL Professor of Maritime Energy Systems in the Department of Engineering at Durham University, leading the Low Carbon Power and Propulsion theme within the UK Clean Maritime Research Hub (UK MaRes), a national initiative driving transformative research in maritime decarbonisation. His work focuses on the thermofluid and combustion science of zero-carbon fuels, including hydrogen, ammonia, and synthetic e-fuels, and on the development of low-carbon propulsion and energy systems for maritime, transport, and energy applications. Bridging academia and industry, Professor Wu’s research drives practical innovation. He was an EPSRC Industry Innovation Fellow (2019–2021) and has secured funding from programmes such as the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) and Smart Shipping. He collaborates widely with industry to pilot and scale technologies, including hybrid and alternative-fuel propulsion, digital twins for optimisation, and fuel-supply infrastructure to support clean energy transitions. Previously, he served as Senior Lecturer in Marine Engineering at Newcastle University and Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Birmingham.

Professor Wu currently leads the marine powertrain and propulsion optimisation workstream in the Horizon Europe SEASTARS project, developing modular retrofit and new-build vessel solutions that target a 30% reduction in well-to-wake GHG emissions and a 20% improvement in energy efficiency through advances in hydrodynamics, alternative fuels, and propulsion technologies. He also leads hydrogen technology roadmaps at the UK National Hydrogen Research Hub (HI-ACT), develops ammonia catalytic combustors at the UK Hub for Research Challenges in Hydrogen and Alternative Liquid Fuels (HyRes), and serves as research work package lead for Propulsion System Scalability Analysis in the Green Ammonia Thermal Propulsion project (MariNH3). He has authored over 80 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters across combustion, propulsion, hydrogen/ammonia fuels, and marine energy systems. Key publications include 'Performance, emissions, and lubricant oil analysis of a marine diesel engine powered by raw Schizochytrium sp. and its blends' (2026), 'Advancing maritime decarbonisation: Design and optimisation of ammonia-fuelled propulsion systems' (2025), 'Catalytic Ammonia Combustion: Legacy Catalytic Burner Designs and Catalyst Requirements for In Situ Hydrogen Production' (2025), and 'Performance and Emission Optimisation of an Ammonia/Hydrogen Fuelled Linear Joule Engine Generator' (2024). Professor Wu serves as an associate editor for Combustion and Emission Control, Frontiers in Energy Research, and Energies, and is Guest Editor for Applied Energy’s 2025 special issue on System Integration of Hydrogen.