A laboratory in Liverpool, where a scientist had spent over a decade working on research, has been destroyed in an arson attack. Last week, Luke Evans, the chief executive of Scintilla CME and a PhD student at the University of Liverpool, was informed that the prefabricated building, which served as his research lab, was on fire. The lab was located in the Wavertree area of the city. Evans had been due to submit his work in March. His research focuses on advanced fuel cell technology that has the potential to convert organic waste into clean energy and could be pivotal for the transition away from fossil fuels.
The fuel cells in question are, at present, the only practical technology for generating sustainable electricity for heavy industry and are specifically designed for use in large applications, such as in ships and trains. “This is a really breathtakingly new technology,” said Nicholas Abson, founder of fuel cell developer, Cygnus Atratus. “And these people have destroyed all the testing of that technology, because that’s what basically was in that facility… it’s very important to this country. It’s very important for strategic energy.”
Evans, who is 45 and has a young son, has had to rebuild his research after losing data, equipment, and years of work in the incident. He and his wife put their own personal finances and social lives aside to support Evans’ self-funded research to bring his new technology to market. When the fire consumed the lab, it destroyed hard drives, logbooks, instruments and sim cards, essentially destroying his work. The researcher describes it as a “nightmare” after years of sacrifice and what he thought was a promising future ahead of him.
An ongoing joint investigation involving Merseyside fire and rescue service and local police looks to clarify and try to determine who was responsible for the arson attack. While the police believe that the fire was intentionally started, the full details of the investigation are not yet confirmed. Evans, alongside several supporters, has initiated a crowdfunding campaign to attempt to rebuild the equipment and data that he lost in the fire
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