PhD Studentship - Process Industries: Net Zero CDT: Lifecycle & Systems Modelling of Future Marine Fuels and Engine Systems

Award summary

100% fees (UK home only), a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £21,805 (2026/27 UKRI rate), and a research training support grant of £20,000.

Overview

The transition to low‑carbon marine propulsion demands new ways of integrating emerging fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and advanced biofuels into vessel operations while maintaining performance, safety and reliability. This PhD project will develop lifecycle and systems‑level models that track these fuels from production through storage, onboard use and energy conversion. Using advanced simulation and analysis, the research will assess how different fuel pathways affect engine behaviour, hybrid power systems, energy flows and emissions, identifying opportunities for improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact. This project will suit applicants interested in energy systems, modelling and the decarbonisation of marine transport.

The project is part of the Process Industries: Net Zero (PINZ) Centre for Doctoral Training, and is sponsored by the Maritime Research and Innovation consortium (MarRI-UK) and Babcock International.

Number of awards: 1

Start date: 1^st October 2026

Award duration: 4 years

Sponsor: EPSRC

Supervisors

Dr Ben Wetenhall (ben.wetenhall@ncl.ac.uk), Dr Greg Mutch (greg.mutch@newcastle.ac.uk) and Dr Kayvan Pazouki (kayvan.pazouki@newcastle.ac.uk)

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. Due to nature of this project, the candidate should have a strong background in Engineering, especially chemical engineering or another closely related engineering subject. 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 available to home students only.

How to apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal. 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 PINZ05-26 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@newcastle.ac.uk

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