Laura Laila Sánchez Morales: When courage is a main ingredient in the future of green fuels
Meet Laura Laila Sánchez Morales who relocated her entire life from Spain to Denmark in pursuit of a career within future energy solutions. She firmly believes that green fuels hold the key to addressing climate change.
Laura Laila Sánchez Morales’ journey to a career at NIRAS took courage. Lots of it! It began with a bold decision. As a native of Madrid, Spain, Laura chose to leave her home country to pursue the ambition of studying and working with future energy solutions in Denmark.
“It was both exciting and challenging to build a new life in Denmark. Coming from Spain, I had to leave my family, friends, and familiar surroundings behind. Most of my friends here are also engineers who came from abroad to work or study, so everyone is in a similar situation. I find that makes it easier to create close friendships, as we’re all open-minded and adaptable,” says Laura.
Before relocating to Denmark, Laura graduated as a Chemical Engineer in Madrid in 2021. Her dedication to building her scientific knowledge, specifically about energy concepts, led her to the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), to pursue a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Energy, focusing specifically on the promising potential of green fuels.
“When I was studying at DTU, I attended a lecture about synthetic fuels and Power-to-X technologies, and I was really, really impressed. It made such an impact that I tried to focus my entire master’s program on this topic, combining it with my interest in bioenergy and biomass. For me, this area is truly exciting and represents a real future for energy solutions.”
"I attended a lecture about synthetic fuels and Power-to-X technologies, and I was really, really impressed. It made such an impact."
Laura Laila Sánchez Morales, Consultant at NIRAS.
“I believe green fuels are the future"
Laura Laila Sánchez Morales, Consultant at NIRAS.
From early studies to large-scale solutions
Looking ahead, Laura is optimistic about the role of green fuels - despite the challenges posed by an emerging industry:
“Working with green fuels, we often encounter significant uncertainty, especially with new technologies, fluctuating energy prices and regulatory bottlenecks. Right now, many projects don’t make it to the final investment stage because there are so many unknowns—like how electrolyzers will perform under non-continuous power or how the costs will pan out. This uncertainty is a challenge, but I find it motivating to work in these early stages where we’re figuring out what’s viable.”
Laura believes in the value of the work and its potential to make a lasting impact.
“I believe green fuels are the future. Developing the technology and ensuring economic feasibility are just two aspects that are important to progress in this field. With the right investments and strategies, we can turn more of these early phase studies and projects into large-scale solutions that truly make a difference.”
Making informed decisions in renewable energy projects
Today, Laura is part of a close-knit team within NIRAS’s Green Fuels department. She is involved in some of the most critical stages of our client’s energy projects: feasibility and pre-feasibility studies. Her work is aimed at helping clients make informed decisions on how to proceed with renewable energy projects.
One of Laura’s unique strengths is her ability to view challenges from both scientific and economic perspectives. In her role, she doesn’t just consider what is technically feasible but also what is economically viable. She’s also aware of the industry’s current hurdles:
“The green fuels industry is promising but complex. Many of these projects face uncertainty due to evolving technology and fluctuating costs, especially given the reliance on renewable energy sources.”
Bio
Laura Laila Sánchez Morales
Born 1999 in Madrid, Spain
2021: Chemical Engineer, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
2023: MSc Sustainable Energy, Bioenergy & Power-to-X, DTU
2024: Consultant in Green Fuels department at NIRAS
A commitment that goes beyond borders
Laura’s enthusiasm for her role at NIRAS extends beyond just technical skills. She is passionate about the connections she builds within her team and across the organisation, helping to link experts and resources to provide clients with comprehensive solutions.
“One of the things I enjoy most,” Laura shares, “is the chance to collaborate with people from various disciplines and backgrounds. We’re connecting the dots, integrating different technologies, and applying this collective knowledge to each project. That interdisciplinary approach is what excites me most about my work.”
Through her work at NIRAS, Laura is helping bridge the gap between today’s innovations and tomorrow’s energy solutions. Her journey from Spain to Denmark reflects a commitment to sustainability that goes beyond borders, and her dedication to the field is evident in every project she undertakes.
“One of the things I enjoy most is working in the Green Fuels department, where we have three main areas of focus: Power-to-X, bioenergy and biofuels, and carbon capture. I feel this department is the perfect match for my interests because it lets me work across all three fields I’m passionate about. At this stage in my career, I appreciate that I can work in a role that doesn’t limit me to just one area.”
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