Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Visiting Researcher
E18-509
Email: aalexa11@mit.edu
Alexa Grimm is a mechanical engineer with a background in industrial R&D and academic research at the intersection of carbon capture, renewable fuels, and process engineering. She obtained her PhD at Utrecht University under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Gert Jan Kramer and Dr. Matteo Gazzani, focusing on the modeling and techno-economic optimization of direct air capture and hydrogen production systems. Her work included developing machine-learning-assisted process models and evaluating renewable hydrogen pathways. She currently works as an R&D Engineer at Nordsol, a Dutch technology company specializing in decentralized liquefied biomethane (LBM) production. There, she leads innovation projects focused on membrane separation and the development of future technologies such as synthetic methane production through biomethanation, bridging detailed process modeling with real-world energy system integration. In 2025, Alexa joined the Green Group at MIT as a visiting scientist. Her research explores the system-level integration and future role of renewable fuels in the energy transition, with a focus on hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as maritime transport. She investigates the potential of closed carbon cycles using bio- and synthetic liquefied methane, while also comparing alternative fuel options. Her works aims to identify scalable, practical pathways that support decarbonizing of shipping and contribute to broader strategies for sustainable mobility.