Award Summary
100% fees (UK Home only), a minimum tax-free annual living allowance at the 2026/27 UKRI rate (£21,805), and a research training support grant of £20,000.
Overview
Marine transport is a difficult sector to decarbonise, as electrical power is challenging for many forms of shipping. Hence, sustainable marine fuels are required. Methanol fuel tankers are already in operation, with multiple international fleets of methanol-fuelled vessels, but virtually all methanol is produced by steam methane reformation of natural gas, so the carbon footprint is substantial.
“Biomethanol”, derived from waste/biomass which do not compete with food production, could be the key sustainable “drop-in” marine fuel of the future. This PhD project addresses a key challenge: how to efficiently produce bio-methanol from abundant, high-moisture biomass waste feedstocks.
The research will focus on hydrothermal processing. This technology has the potential to disrupt the biofuels market by eliminating the energy-intensive drying steps typically required for wet biomass sources, thereby changing the economics. Process Intensification strategies will be employed to offer substantial advantages in energy efficiency and process economics. Various feedstocks will be examined, but a key feedstock will be digestate, a by-product of anaerobic digestion.
The project will involve collaboration with experienced engineers and scientists at Newcastle University and PuriFire as part of the EPSRC PINZ (Process Industries: Net Zero) Centre for Doctoral Training in:
Reactor design optimisation: contribute to the design of the UK’s largest hydrothermal methanol synthesis, exploring advanced modelling techniques to maximize yield and minimize byproduct formation.
Scalability Studies: investigate the challenges and opportunities associated with scaling up this technology.
Number of awards: 1
Start date: 1 October 2026
Award duration: 4 years
Sponsor: EPSRC
Supervisors
Academic supervisor: Professor Anh Phan, Process Intensification Group, Newcastle. There will also be an industrial supervisor from Purifire.
Eligibility criteria
You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project (usually chemical engineering, but please get in touch if you think your qualification may be relevant). Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements.
This studentship is open to home students only and if successful will receive a full studentship.
How to apply
You must apply through the University's Apply to Newcastle Portal via the ‘Apply’ button above. Once registered, select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application'.
Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:
Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8856F
Leave the 'Research Area' field blank
Select ‘PhD in Process Industries; Net Zero (PINZ)' as the programme of study
You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:
A ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) - upload a document or write a statement directly in to the application form.
The studentship code PINZ03-26 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field.
‘Research Proposal’ - when prompted for how you are providing your research proposal –select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.
You must submit one application per studentship, you cannot apply for multiple studentships on one application.
Contact details: pinz.cdt@ncl.ac.uk