Dr
Fanran
Meng
(he/him)

BEng (Hons), PhD, CEng, FIMMM, FHEA, MRSC

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Chemical Engineering

USIC Tutor

Level 4 (undergraduate) Director

Fanran Meng
Profile picture of Fanran Meng
f.meng@sheffield.ac.uk
G18, Sir Robert Hadfield Building

Full contact details

Dr Fanran Meng
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

G18
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street

Sheffield

S1 3JD

Profile

I am a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Sustainable Chemical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, where I lead the Whole Systems Modelling Lab. My research focuses on the decarbonisation of complex materials, chemicals, energy and transport systems using whole-system approaches that integrate life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, material flow analysis, process modelling and optimisation.

Before joining Sheffield in 2023, I held research positions at the Universities of Nottingham and Cambridge, including a Sustainability Fellowship at Churchill College. I work closely with academic, industrial and policy partners to translate complex sustainability analysis into practical evidence for technology development, industrial strategy and public policy.

My research has been recognised through the Royal Society of Chemistry 2025 Environment, Sustainability & Energy Early Career Prize, the 2026 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Lectureship Award, the 2026 IChemE Warner Medal, and the Landor Links Decarbonising Transport Award 2026.

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) in Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, 2013 

PhD in Materials Engineering and Materials Design, University of Nottingham, 2017 

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Research interests

I develop and apply whole-system models to understand how materials, technologies, supply chains and policy interact. My research combines life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, material flow analysis and process modelling to identify practical ways to reduce environmental impacts, improve resource efficiency and support a circular economy. I work across plastics and chemicals, composites and recycling, renewable-energy infrastructure, electric-vehicle batteries and low-carbon manufacturing. By collaborating with industry, government and academic partners, I aim to turn complex environmental and economic evidence into clear recommendations for technology development, investment, industrial strategy and public policy.

My work has published over 60 papers in leading journals such as Nature Chemical Engineering, Nature Climate Change, Nature Sustainability, Nature Reviews Clean Technology, Nature Water, and PNAS, and has been featured by Nature, The Guardian, Financial Times, and Sky News.

Key research interests:

  • Whole-systems modelling for industrial decarbonisation
  • Life cycle assessment and environmental systems analysis
  • Techno-economic analysis and process modelling
  • Material flow analysis, circularity and resource efficiency
  • Plastics, chemicals and polymer supply chains
  • Composite materials recycling, reuse and circular design
  • Renewable-energy infrastructure and end-of-life management
  • Electric-vehicle batteries and critical-material supply chains
  • Decision support for industry, policy and sustainable technology innovation
Publications

Journal articles

  • Brennan SJ, Meng F, Bolson NF, Mancera de Olloqui M, Meacham JP, Xu M, Masanet E & Cullen JM (2026) . One Earth, 9(9), 101782-101782.
  • Greaves J, Rothman R, McKechnie J, Nduagu EI, Richa K, Roux TW & Meng F (2026) . Resources Conservation & Recycling Advances, 32.
  • Alfarisi S, Koide R, Hawkin JL, Meng F & Watari T (2026) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 574, 149117-149117.
  • Meng F, Xiong Y, Gauch H, Ow W, Sun X, Feng Y, Zhang S & Cullen JM (2026) . Environmental Science & Technology, 60(32), 22335-22344.
  • Jin E, Jabarivelisdeh B, Meng F, Christopher P & Masanet E (2026) . ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 14(30), 13517-13532.
  • Meng F, Gast L, Favero Bolson N, Lilonfe S, McKechnie J, Watari T, Haigh C & Cullen J (2026) . Environmental Nexus, 100025-100025.
  • Davies B, Llamas-Orozco JA, Duke C, Meng F, Posen ID, MacLean HL, Abdul-Manan AFN & McKechnie J (2026) . One Earth, 101773-101773.
  • Liu Y, Li X, Wang Y, Sun X, Tong S, Zhao S, Kanye LT, Zhang Q, Xue N, Shi K , Lian JZ et al (2026) . ACS Sustainable Resource Management, 3(6), 1800-1813.
  • Gao Y, Meng F, Hawkin JL, Cullen JM & Cabrera Serrenho A (2026) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 559, 148308-148308.
  • Liu Y-F, Wang P, Dai T, Xu D, McKechnie J, Li S, Meng F & Wang C (2026) . Resources, Environment and Sustainability, 100340-100340.
  • Qiao Y, Guo Y, Rowan S, Medina R, Espinet X, Cullen J, Meng F & Cao Z (2026) . Global Environmental Change, 96, 103103-103103.
  • Meng F, Hawkin JL, Gast L, Job S, O Brádaigh C, Cullen JM, Leeke GA, McKechnie J, Poulsen AK, Rothman R , Ryan A et al (2025) . Nature Reviews Clean Technology.
  • Mai L, Liu M, Hao H, Sun X, Meng F, Geng Y, Wadud Z, Tate JE, Dong Z, Li H , Geng J et al (2025) . Scientific Data, 12(1).
  • Qiao Y, Zhu L, Cao H, Liu Z, Wang G & Meng F (2025) . Sustainable Cities and Society, 130, 106614-106614.
  • Li X, Meng F, Dunbar A, Zhang L, Hao Y, He T, Yang N, Mao J, Meng F & Liu G (2025) . RSC Sustainability, 3(5), 2286-2300.
  • Chen W, Wang P, Meng F, Pehlken A, Wang Q-C & Chen W-Q (2025) . Fundamental Research, 5(2), 505-513.
  • Huo D, Davies B, Li J, Alzaghrini N, Sun X, Meng F, Abdul-Manan AFN, McKechnie J, Posen ID & MacLean HL (2024) . Energy Policy, 195, 114390-114390.
  • Davies B, Llamas-Orozco JA, Meng F, Posen ID, MacLean HL, Abdul-Manan AFN & McKechnie J (2024) . RSC Sustainability, 2(8), 2275-2288.
  • Cullen L, Meng F, Lupton R & Cullen JM (2024) . Nature Chemical Engineering, 1(4), 311-322.
  • Gast L, Meng F & Morgan D (2024) . Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 204.
  • Meng F, Brandão M & Cullen JM (2024) . Environmental Science & Technology, 58(6), 2716-2727.
  • Bowler AL, Rodgers S, Meng F, McKechnie J, Cook DJ & Watson NJ (2024) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 435, 140181-140181.
  • Rodgers S, Bowler A, Wells L, Lee CS, Hayes M, Poulston S, Lester E, Meng F, McKechnie J & Conradie A (2024) . International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 49, 277-294.
  • Yang J, Meng F, Zhang L, McKechnie J, Chang Y, Ma B, Hao Y, Li X, Pender K, Yang L , Leeke GA et al (2023) . Communications Earth & Environment, 4(1).
  • Llamas-Orozco JA, Meng F, Walker GS, Abdul-Manan AFN, MacLean HL, Posen ID & McKechnie J (2023) . PNAS Nexus, 2(11).
  • Song L, van Ewijk S, Masanet E, Watari T, Meng F, Cullen JM, Cao Z & Chen W-Q (2023) . Nature Climate Change, 13(11), 1272-1272.
  • Song L, van Ewijk S, Masanet E, Watari T, Meng F, Cullen JM, Cao Z & Chen W-Q (2023) . Nature Climate Change, 13(10), 1136-1143.
  • Rodgers S, Bowler A, Meng F, Poulston S, McKechnie J & Conradie A (2023) . Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 122, 106065-106065.
  • Huang X, Bao L, Bao R, Liu L, Tao J, Wang J, Zhang Z, Ge Z, Tan S, Yi J & Meng F (2023) . Advanced Powder Materials, 2(2), 100090-100090.
  • Meng F, Wagner A, Kremer AB, Kanazawa D, Leung JJ, Goult P, Guan M, Herrmann S, Speelman E, Sauter P , Lingeswaran S et al (2023) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(8).
  • Xiao C, Zhou J, Meng F, Cullen J, Wang X & Zhu Y (2023) . Science of The Total Environment, 869, 161779-161779.
  • Qiao Y, Wang Z, Meng F, Parry T, Cullen J & Liu S (2022) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 371, 133615-133615.
  • Rodgers S, Meng F, Poulston S, Conradie A & McKechnie J (2022) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 364, 132614-132614.
  • Liu P, Meng F & Barlow CY (2022) . Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 180, 106202-106202.
  • Upadhyayula VKK, Gadhamshetty V, Athanassiadis D, Tysklind M, Meng F, Pan Q, Cullen JM & Yacout DMM (2022) . Environmental Science & Technology, 56(2), 1267-1277.
  • Meng F, Dornau A, Mcqueen Mason SJ, Thomas GH, Conradie A & McKechnie J (2021) . Applied Energy, 298, 117118-117118.
  • Heng H, Meng F & McKechnie J (2021) . Waste Management, 133, 59-70.
  • Rodgers S, Conradie A, King R, Poulston S, Hayes M, Bommareddy RR, Meng F & McKechnie J (2021) . Johnson Matthey Technology Review, 65(3), 375-394.
  • Ibbett R, Tucker G, McKechnie J & Meng F (2020) . Biomass and Bioenergy, 143, 105817-105817.
  • Sun X, Luo X, Zhang Z, Meng F & Yang J (2020) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 273, 123006-123006.
  • Meng F, Cui Y, Pickering S & McKechnie J (2020) . Composites Part B: Engineering, 200, 108362-108362.
  • Cui Y, Zhu J, Meng F, Zoras S, McKechnie J & Chu J (2020) . Renewable Energy, 150, 101-115.
  • Meng F & McKechnie J (2019) . Environmental Science & Technology, 53(20), 12141-12149.
  • Sun X, Meng F, Liu J, McKechnie J & Yang J (2019) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 220, 1-8.
  • Meng F, Ibbett R, de Vrije T, Metcalf P, Tucker G & McKechnie J (2019) . Waste Management, 89, 177-189.
  • Liu P, Meng F & Barlow CY (2019) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 212, 1268-1281.
  • Cui Y, Zhu J & Meng F (2018) . Energy Conversion and Management, 178, 200-216.
  • Meng F, Olivetti EA, Zhao Y, Chang JC, Pickering SJ & McKechnie J (2018) . ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 6(8), 9854-9865.
  • Meng F, McKechnie J & Pickering SJ (2018) . Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 109, 207-220.
  • Meng F, McKechnie J, Turner T, Wong KH & Pickering SJ (2017) . Environmental Science & Technology, 51(21), 12727-12736.
  • Meng F, McKechnie J, Turner TA & Pickering SJ (2017) . Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 100, 206-214.
  • Meng F, Cullen L, Mitchell P, Christopher P, Cabrera Serrenho A, Masanet E, Ryan AJ, Lupton R & Cullen JM () . Nature Sustainability.
  • Fernando R, Meng F, Rothman R, Sim S & Bohnes F () . Discover Sustainability.
  • Dou H, Jiang S, Ou SS, Hao H, Liu M, Geng J, Liu B, Mai L, Qu X, Geng Y , Hubacek K et al () . Nature Energy.
  • Dou H, Jiang S, Ou SS, Hao H, Liu M, Geng J, Liu B, Mai L, Qu X, Geng Y , Hubacek K et al () . Nature Energy.
  • Mai L, Hao H, Liu M, Sun X, Meng F, Geng Y, Wadud Z, Tate JE, Dong Z, Li H , Geng J et al () . Communications Materials.
  • Tian X, Peng F, McKechnie J, Abdul-Manan AFN, Liu Y & Meng F () . Nature Sustainability.
  • Liu F, Li H, Gao Z, Song Q, Cullen PJ, Nie Z, Hong Y, Zhang Y, Yao S, Gu C , Meng F et al () . Nature Water.
  • Lian JZ, Liu T, Yang J, Zhu H, Chalermchotiwong N, Grain Y, Yue L, Luo X, Cucurachi S, Li J , Meng F et al () . RSC Sustainability.
  • Xiao C, Zhou J, Shen X, Cullen J, Dobson S, Meng F & Wang X () . Sustainability, 14(21), 14136-14136.
  • Zaky AS, Carter CE, Meng F & French CE () . Processes, 9(8), 1399-1399.

Conference proceedings

  • Meng F, McKechnie J & Pickering SJ (2017) Towards a circular economy for end-of-life carbon fibre composite materials via fluidised bed process. Iccm International Conferences on Composite Materials, Vol. 2017-August
  • Pickering SJ, Turner TA, Meng F, Morris CN, Heil JP, Wong KH & Melendi S (2015) Developments in the fluidised bed process for fibre recovery from thermoset composites. Camx 2015 Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (pp 2384-2394)

Preprints

  • Meng F, Wagner A, B. Kremer A, Kanazawa D, J. Leung J, Goult P, Guan M, Herrmann S, Speelman E, Sauter P , Lingeswaran S et al (2022) , American Chemical Society (ACS).
  • Meng F, Wagner A, B. Kremer A, Kanazawa D, J. Leung J, Goult P, Guan M, Herrmann S, Speelman E, Sauter P , Lingeswaran S et al (2022) , American Chemical Society (ACS).
  • Xiao C, Jingbo Z, Meng F, Cullen J, Wang X & Zhu Y (2022) , Elsevier BV.
Teaching interests

My teaching interests include:

  • Sustainable chemical engineering
  • Life cycle assessment and environmental sustainability
  • Energy systems and industrial decarbonisation
  • Circular economy and resource efficiency
  • Systems thinking and whole-system modelling
  • Techno-economic analysis
  • Sustainable materials and manufacturing
  • Data-informed engineering decision-making

I am particularly interested in using real industrial case studies, computational tools and project-based learning to help students connect engineering fundamentals with environmental, economic and societal challenges.

Teaching activities

I contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in sustainable chemical engineering, energy systems, life cycle assessment and materials sustainability. My current teaching includes:

  • CPE465/CPE61012 Energy Systems and Management

  • CMB104/MAT1920 Sustainability and the Materials Lifecycle

  • CPE180 Heat Transfer

  • Life cycle thinking and assessment

I also contribute to research-project supervision, dissertation supervision and training in life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis and whole-systems modelling.

I serve as Level 4 Undergraduate Director and USIC Tutor.
 

Professional activities and memberships

I serve as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Cleaner Production Letters and hold editorial roles with several sustainability journals, including the Journal of Cleaner Production and Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances. I also sit on the editorial boards of Environmental Nexus and Chem Circularity.

My wider professional activities include:

  • Member, EPSRC Sustainable Manufacturing and Mobility Early Career Forum
  • Member, IChemE
  • Member, BSI PRI/21 Testing of Plastics Committee
  • Member, IEA Wind Task 45
  • Member, Royce Institute Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
  • Fellow, Higher Education Academy
  • Professional member, Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
  • Member, Royal Society of Chemistry
  • Member, Institution of Chemical Engineers
  • Member, International Society for Industrial Ecology