PhD Studentship: Intermediate Dark Fermentation as a Platform Technology for Chemical Recycling and Biorefineries in the Water Sector

Start date 

25^th September 2023

Eligibility

Duration: 4 years

1^st Supervisor: Dr Yadira Bajón Fernández     2^nd Supervisor: Dr Luca Alibardi

Sponsorship

Sponsored by EPSRC through the Water Infrastructure and Resilience (WIRe) Centre for Doctoral Training and multiple UK water utilities, this programme will provide an enhanced bursary of £21,000 (tax-free) plus student fees for four years. The sponsorship also includes project consumables and a package to support training needs and attendance to national and international conferences of the successful applicant.              

This exciting fully funded PhD will investigate resource recovery opportunities from sewage sludge with dark fermentation as core enabling technology. This project works collaboratively with UK water utilities to identify and develop alternative value propositions, investigating the role of dark fermentation in transitioning sludge treatment centres into true biorefineries, where available carbon can be recovered and used for wastewater treatment or converted into high value chemicals for external use.

Students will benefit from being part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Water infrastructure and Resilience (WIRe), a world leading collaboration between three UK universities.

This project aims to develop dark fermentation as an enabling technology for circular economy in the water sector, with individual objectives as:

1. To provide an internal carbon source for BNPR that reduces reliance on external chemical purchase
2. To define the operational framework for sewage sludge dark fermentation that will result in optimized VFAs yields while controlling VFA profile
3. To inform the technical feasibility and environmental benefits of a dark fermentation and AD combined flowsheet for the UK context
4. To quantify the market potential of implementing dark fermentation to sell VFAs as platform chemicals

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a first or second class UK honours degree or equivalent in a related discipline. This project would suit …..    an applicant with a strong interest on resource recovery and development of sustainable treatment solutions, who is keen on industry-academic collaboration. Applicants with a background on biology, chemistry, chemical or environmental engineering, water science, environmental science or related discipline will be particularly well suited for this project.

Funding

This studentship is open to UK and international students (including EU countries) however due to funding rules, no more than 30% of the projects in this cohort can be allocated to international students.

To Apply

For further information:
Name: Dr Yadira Bajon Fernandez
Email: y.bajonfernandez@cranfield.ac.uk

If you are eligible to apply, please complete the online application form.

Keywords

resource recovery, circular economy, biorefineries, anaerobic digestion, fermentation, wastewater, sludge treatment, bioresources, environmental engineering, environmental science, water science, water engineering, net zero, water, industry, applied, renewable energy, biogas, fertilizer, volatile fatty acids, bioengineering, bioreactors, Net Zero, greenhouse gas, GHG, carbon neutral, resilience, carbon, biogas

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