PhD Studentship - Process Industries: Net Zero CDT: Optimising Green Methanol Utilisation for Net-Zero Offshore Vessels

Award Summary

100% fees (UK Home only), a minimum tax-free annual living allowance at the 2027/28 UKRI Rate (note the 2026/7 rate is £21,805), and a research training support grant of £20,000.

Overview

Green methanol is emerging as a leading alternative fuel for deep-sea and offshore shipping, offering significant emissions reductions while utilising existing fuel infrastructure. However, current methanol fuel systems can result in substantial fuel and energy losses through venting and nitrogen blanketing, reducing both environmental and operational efficiency.

This PhD project will develop innovative solutions to improve methanol utilisation on board vessels by investigating fuel evaporation, modelling methanol vapour behaviour, and designing capture, recirculation, or combustion strategies. Building on a novel closed-system concept developed by O.S. Energy, the research aims to create a practical, scalable fuel system that improves efficiency while maintaining safety. 

Working closely with O.S. Energy's naval architects and engineers, the successful candidate will design, model and test the system with the ambition of achieving class approval and demonstrating the technology on a methanol-fuelled offshore support vessel. The project offers a unique opportunity to combine fundamental research with real-world industrial application and contribute to the decarbonisation of maritime transport.

This project is part of the EPSRC CDT in Process Industries: Net Zero. The successful PhD student will be co-supervised by academics from the Process Intensification Group at Newcastle University.  

Number Of Awards

One

Start Date

1 October 2027

Award Duration

4 Years

Application Closing Date

7 January 2027

Sponsor

EPSRC

Supervisors

Dr Weichao Shi (weichao.shi@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, or chemistry. 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 UK students only.

How To Apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal Once registered, select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.

Identify your programme of study via ‘Course Search’

• 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:

• Personal Statement (mandatory): Upload a document or write a statement directly into the application form
• Studentship/Partnership Reference: Enter the studentship code PINZ02-27.
• Research Proposal: When asked how you are providing your research proposal, select ‘Write Proposal’, and enter the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a separate proposal.
• Supporting documents: Upload your CV

You must submit one application per studentship; you cannot apply for multiple studentships in one application.

Contact Details

General enquiries: pinz.cdt@ncl.ac.uk

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