PhD in Chemical Engineering

Award Summary:n100% fees (UK Home only), a minimum tax-free annual living allowance at the 2026/27 UKRI rate (note that the 2025/26 rate is £20,780), and a research training support grant of £20,000./nOverview:nThe global methanol market demand has increased rapidly and is forecasted to grow to over 130 MMT by 2030./nThis PhD project addresses a key challenge: efficiently producing bio-methanol from abundant, high-moisture waste feedstocks that do not compete with land impacts for food production or alternative fuels. The research will focus on hydrothermal processing./nProcess Intensification strategies will be employed. The impact of key operating parameters on hydrothermal processing will be systematically investigated, exploring advanced modelling techniques to produce high quality syngas for methanol production, leveraging facilities at Newcastle University and PuriFire Energy./nNumber of Awards: 1/nStart Date: 1 October 2026/nAward Duration: 4 years/nSponsor: EPSRC