We are offering pioneering research projects that will enable you to explore key technologies that will support UK industry to reach net zero. CDT in Green Industrial Futures has five research themes. Our students will develop expertise in their chosen research field, whilst also understanding cross-thematically how technologies integrate.
Advancing CCUS technologies
Advancing carbon capture, utilisation and storage technologies will push forward research frontiers in advanced materials and technologies for CO2 capture and utilisation from industrial sources and a range of socio-economic, engineering, and geological issues required to achieve the scaleup of CO2 storage to gigatonnes per year, particularly to unlock the UK’s potential as a regional European hub for CO2 storage.
Theme Leads: Professor Paul Fennell, Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer, Professor Sam Krevor
Current project vacancies:
Lead Supervisor: Mercedes Maroto-Valer
Research field: Subsurface engineering
About the project:
This project focuses on establishing reliable, cost-effective, large hydrogen or carbon dioxide storage and distribution hubs. In collaboration with industrial partners, we aim to identify and reduce the hurdles for geological storage of hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
Supervisor: Susana Garcia
Research field: Chemical engineering
About the project:
This project will explore deep removal of CO2 from industrial sources (i.e., CO2 capture rates higher than 95%,) and will focus on the development and assessment of novel electrochemical-regeneration methods that can be coupled to amine-based carbon capture technologies.
Supervisor: Paul Fennell
Research field: Chemical engineering
About the project:
Project description
Supervisor: Paul Fennell
Research field: Chemical engineering
About the project:
Project description
Green hydrogen & sustainable fuels
This theme focuses on critical challenges on scaling up and integration of hydrogen and sustainable fuels into large energy systems. This includes the development and optimisation of novel materials and devices with high conversion & selectivity, long lifetimes & low cost, in combination with cost reductions in CO2 capture, particularly Direct Air Capture (DAC). This theme also addresses the challenges that arise from curtailed renewable energy, the utilisation of low carbon fuels and novel designs of equipment needed for difficult to decarbonised processes.
Theme Leads: Professor John Andresen, Professor Yannis Hardalupas. Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian
Current project vacancies:
Lead supervisor: Mercedes Maroto-Valer
Research field: Chemical engineering
About the project:
Large scale deployments of CCUS and integration with green hydrogen are a promising pathway to produce value-added chemicals and sustainable aviation fuels. This project aims to develop attractive commercial opportunities to produce marketable products by developing cost effective catalysts and optimizing the process through reactor design and life-cycle assessment.
Lead supervisor: Sudhagar Pitchaimuthu
Research field: Chemistry/chemical engineering/materials science
About the project:
The project focuses on the development of cost-effective electrocatalysts derived from non-critical raw materials, aiming to replace expensive platinum group metals in the electrolysis process. Emphasizing environmental responsibility, it contributes to the advancement of renewable energy technologies. Ultimately, the research aims to utilize wastewater as a valuable electrolyte feedstock for green hydrogen production, promoting environmental sustainability and energy innovation.
Lead supervisor: Yannis Pourkashanian
Research field: Chemical engineering
About the project:
Project description
Lead supervisor: Anna Chatzimichali
Research field: Chemistry/chemical engineering/materials science
About the project:
The transition towards sustainable energy sources has placed hydrogen energy at the forefront of research and development initiatives worldwide. Hydrogen, as a clean and versatile energy carrier, holds the promise of significantly reducing our carbon footprint. However, the success of hydrogen energy relies not just on technological advancements but also on its acceptance and use by end-users. User-facing hydrogen products such as portable hydrogen storage solutions, are pivotal in integrating hydrogen energy into the daily lives of consumers. Despite the technological readiness of many hydrogen solutions, there remains a substantial gap in understanding the specific needs, preferences, and acceptance criteria of potential users. This gap hinders the widespread adoption of hydrogen technologies and limits their impact on our energy transition goals. Thus, this research work aims to bridge this knowledge gap by focusing on identifying and analysing user facilitating the design of more user-centric hydrogen energy solutions.
Next generation CO2 removals
Developing next generation CO2 removal technology (CDR) generates novel understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying DAC, ocean alkalinity enhancement, accelerated weathering, Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) technologies, and uses this to develop next generation CDR solutions. It includes developing state of the art methods for materials characterisation, fit-for-purpose model development combining first principles and empirical modelling with machine learning and a systems architecting approach to technology design.
Theme Leads: Professor Lin Ma, Professor Mijndert Van der Spek
Current project vacancies:
Lead supervisor: Mijndert van der Spek
Research field: Chemical engineering
About the project:
Large scale direct air CO2 capture may be needed to counter greenhouse gas emissions from so-called ‘hard to abate’ sectors (aviation, agriculture, certain industrial activities). Some estimates suggest that more than a gigatonne of CO2 needs to be removed from the atmosphere by 2050. To minimise energy use of such volumes of DAC, clever integration with industrial and energy systems is needed. This project combines solid-sorbent DAC process modelling with energy and industrial systems modelling to develop least energy, least cost DAC deployment scenarios.
Lead supervisor: Phil Renforth
Research field: Civil/chemical engineering, geoscience
About the project: Concrete is a fundamental building material essential to economic development and a substantial contributor to greenhouse gas emissions during its production. Concrete reacts with atmospheric CO2 in all parts of its life-cycle (during use, following demolition, and subsequent use). Accounting for passive CO2 uptake during the service life, and maximising uptake following demolition, together with deep emissions reduction in the production of cement could result in a net negative CO2 emission during its life-cycle. This PhD project will explore this vital in-service life carbonation of concrete and its possible use for creating a net-negative carbon footprint.
System integration
With the themes above, the system integration theme develops effective ways to integrate solutions considering site-specific industrial symbiosis, energy and resource efficiency and assessment studies for fuel switching. This includes integrating process modelling, techno-economic and life cycle analysis (LCA) to support the net-zero production of base/platform chemicals and fuels. These assessments will use prospective and consequential methods so solutions are assessed for their current and future performance and the wider system. Novel advanced optimisation and value models will be coupled to a superstructure approach to design energy-materials-technology pathways to achieve net-zero manufacturing at minimum cost.
Theme Leads: Professor Marcelle McManus, Professor John Andresen
Current project vacancies:
Lead supervisor: John Andresen
Research field: general engineering/systems analysis
About the project:
The candidate will work closely with industry to develop digital twin solutions for incorporating renewable energy options in industrial clusters, such as hydrogen, batteries, solar, wind and heat-pumps, for deep decarbonisation.
Lead supervisor: Marcelle McManus
Research field: general engineering/systems analysis
About the project:
An opportunity to explore and advance novel decarbonisation solutions for high-energy use industrial sites, with a specific focus on dispersed sites outside of government-supported cluster areas.
Integrated theme (social, environmental, economic and political)
Critical to the success of a green industrial transition is uptake and use in industry and society. Working across the themes, this theme applies cutting-edge social science and behavioural insights to ensure a people-based focus. Research projects will address evidence gaps, understanding what is required for net zero-consistent behaviour change in industry and society and testing mechanisms for transformative changes. We will apply an expanded concept of behaviour change to include people’s professional, consumer, citizen and community roles, and assess underpinning policy and regulatory frameworks linked with systems integration to understand the complex challenges posed by net zero.
Theme Leads: Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, Professor Mijndert Van der Spek
Current project vacancies:
Lead supervisor: L Whitmarsh and S Hampton
Research field: Software / Systems Engineering
About the project:
There are more than 5.5 million Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the UK, accounting for around half of business emissions. However, there is no common process for reporting emissions, and only a small proportion of SMEs (<10%) have ever calculated their carbon footprints. Lack of quality data prevents the effective management of carbon emissions amongst businesses. If data could be gathered at scale, they could generate insights to help businesses and financiers to make informed decisions about investments in energy efficiency measures and low-carbon technologies.