PhD studentship in Green Industrial Futures "How does uncertainty about decarbonisation of chem ...

PhD studentship in Green Industrial Futures "How does uncertainty about decarbonisation of chemical production affect the UK energy system transformation?"

This PhD is one of a number of projects hosted by the Centre for Doctoral Training in Green Industrial Futures (CDT-GIF). We are offering pioneering research projects that will enable PhD researchers to explore key technologies and solutions that will support UK industry to reach net zero.

The aim is to understand how technical changes in the UK chemical industry affect its future energy demand, and hence the energy system, using Industrial Ecology methods such as Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment to model future chemicals processes operating in the UK and their energy requirements. Uncertainty analysis will enable a full understanding of possible scenarios even with limited data and assumptions. The results of this work are expected to be of direct interest to government and the electricity transmission/distribution grid operators, allowing general technology trends to be understood in terms of the specific processes, production facilities, and regions that would be affected.

The programme is four years and starts in September 2026. Funding includes full UK fees, tax-free stipend (2025/2026 stipend is £20,780), plus budget for travel and consumables. The positions are in the first instance for UK students.

Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change

• Lidia Kim
  National Research and Development Institute for Industrial Ecology - ECOIND
• Julia Sborz
  Norwegian University of Science and Technology