EPSRC Funded PhD: Negative Emissions Technologies for Net Zero - Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)

Funding For: UK/Home Students

Applications are invited for a PhD Studentship, with an October 2024 start, at the University of Nottingham within the Low Carbon Energy and Resources Technologies Research Group and Advanced Materials Research Group in the Faculty of Engineering. Engineered removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is one way of helping to meet our decarbonisation and climate change commitments. This fully funded PhD allows you to apply your scientific and engineering knowledge to developing techniques for delivering “Negative Emissions”.

Project Description:  With the growing concern over climate change, there is an urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This project will explore the potential of biofuels as a CO2-neutral fuel and their energy potential in advanced combustion as an inherent CO2 capture technology to develop negative emission energy production technologies. The research will encompass various scales, from lab experiments to pilot scale, focusing on different biofuel types and low-cost oxygen carriers to advanced oxygen carriers. The project aims to develop novel negative emission energy production technologies and optimise operation parameters for maximum CO2 capture efficiency and energy gain, contributing to the development of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) technologies.

About Net2Zero CDT: NET2ZERO is a collaborative Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) across 4 partner institutes (Aston University in Birmingham, University of Nottingham, University of Warwick and Queen's University Belfast). You will be working as part of a national interdisciplinary effort to advance these new technologies, directly informing the implementation strategies of our industrial and policy partners. You will, of course, expand your subject knowledge and technical capability, but will also benefit from a comprehensive, interdisciplinary taught programme and skills development. Above all, you will be making a difference to the UK’s scientific knowledge base, and engineering implementation and positively impacting global carbon emissions.

Supervisory Team: Dr. Fatih Gulec, Prof Ed Lester

Ideal Candidate: We seek a candidate with a keen interest in industrial decarbonisation, process developments, reaction engineering, advanced combustion technologies, inorganic material synthesis and characteristics. The willingness to learn interdisciplinary approaches to tackle the challenges of CO2 emissions in energy production is essential.

Eligibility:

• Project start date and duration: start 1^st October 2024 for 48 months.
• Candidates must possess or expect to obtain a 2:1 or first-class degree in Chemical Engineering, Material Science, Sustainable Energy Engineering, or a related discipline.
• To apply, a covering letter and CV should be sent by email to Fatih.Gulec1@nottingham.ac.uk. Please refer to the project title when sending your e-mail/application. Informal enquires are also welcome. Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis until a suitable candidate is appointed.

Funding notes: The successful candidate will be entitled to full award (stipend at the UKRI rate plus £5,000 GBP enhancement and full tuition fees). The stipend for the successful candidate will be £24,237 per annum (tax-free).

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. The Faculty of Engineering provides a thriving working environment for all PGRs creating a strong sense of community across research disciplines.

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