Ben Laenen

Researcher leader - VITO

Biography

Ben Laenen (geologist, expert geothermal energy) graduated as a geologist in 1992 and obtained a PhD in Sciences - Geology in 1997 at the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium). After his PhD, Ben Laenen worked as a post-Doc at the University of Köln (Germany). During that time he studied secondary oil migration in the Bashaw Reef complex (Alberta, Canada). Since 2000, Ben Laenen is employed as a researcher at VITO. He started as junior researcher the Energy department and he mainly worked on GIS related project, data management and 3D modeling of the subsurface. From 2006 till 2010, Ben Laenen worked as project leader in the Resources group. He planned and coordinates projects in the fields of geological exploration, gas- and CO2-storage, waste conversion using CO2 and geothermal energy. In September 2010, Ben Laenen was promoted to position of research coordinator. He is now responsible to define and elaborate the strategic research programs of VITO in the fields of deep geology and geothermal energy.