Optimisation of the cryogenic bulk liquid production and supply market

Student: Abdul Samad

Email: A.Samad2@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Mark Willis and
Dr Chris O’Malley

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: BOC Linde

Linde and BOC plants make cryogenic liquid air products at various production rates. Production is subject to variable power prices and customer locations, as well as vehicle and driver availability which creates a complex optimisation / scheduling problem. Moreover, any derived schedule must be automated and continually updated to account for variations in production capacity and efficiency.

This project aims to develop, construct and apply an optimisation strategy for bulk liquid production accounting for the subsequent supply market (liquid oxygen, nitrogen, and argon to customers from UK production sites). This will be constrained by customer demands and subject to electricity spot market prices as well as process carbon intensity (net zero) objectives. Plant start-up penalties and inter-site optimisation capabilities will be incorporated into the optimisation model to emulate realistic operational flexibilities and costs.

Development of Water-Soluble and Biodegradable Detergent Ingredients from CO₂ and Bio-renewable Sources

Student: Vaishnavi Jambhorkar

Email: V.Jambhorkar2@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Fernando Russo Abegão and Professor Kamelia Boodhoo

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: Procter and Gamble

Fast moving consumer goods, such as fabric and home care products, have a high market volume and can contribute positively to industrial and consumer sustainability. This project, co-funded by Procter and Gamble, will focus on the development of novel renewable and biodegradable water-soluble detergent ingredients through a circular economy approach. The project will research CO₂ activation and conversion techniques and exploit bio-renewable platform molecules in Newcastle University, with a specific focus on catalysis, molecular functionality creation, and production pathways development.

Biorenewable antioxidants production for enhanced sustainability of polymeric materials

Student: Aarcha Krishna Kalluparambil

Email: A.K.Kalluparambil2@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Fernando Russo Abegão and Professor Kamelia Boodhoo

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: Thomas Swan

Several types of polymeric materials undergo rapid degradation under both storage and use, unless antioxidants and stabilisers are added to suppress undesirable reactions. This project is co-funded by Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. and is focused on the identification and further development of routes for effective extraction and modification of biorenewable antioxidants and stabilisers in order to enhance the sustainability of polymeric materials. The project includes research of biomass sources and extraction techniques, exploitation chemical modification pathways, and investigation of performance of the novel preservatives in final application scenarios.

Greener solvents for more sustainable processes

Student: Sam Bury

Email: stb524@york.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Seishi Shimizu and
Dr James Sherwood

Location: University of York

Industrial Partner: Reckitt

The task of replacing harmful solvents with greener and safer alternatives has been made difficult by the limitations of the theoretical models we use to understand solubility. Although the Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSP) for instance can narrow down the candidates for solvent replacement quickly, 1 they cannot describe solvation structure around a solute, and hence cannot be compared to any insights from molecular simulation or scattering measurements. The quantum chemistry COSMO-RS model 2 can describe intermolecular electrostatic interactions, yet its foundation, the lattice theory of solutions, cannot capture solvation structure. Thus, our understanding of solutions has long lacked a theory that can explain solubility (or mixing) by the solvation structure around the solute.

The difficulties surrounding solvation comes from the fact that it is driven not only by specific and stoichiometric interactions, but also weak, non-specific, fluctuating interactions. This problem has been overcome recently at a theoretical level. The statistical thermodynamic fluctuation theory, while being rigorous, can explain (i) solubilization by hydrotropes and micelles, (ii) solubility in mixed solvents, (iii) polymer conformational stabilities, (iv) particle dispersion, and (v) sorption isotherms. Based on the aforementioned achievements, this PhD project aims to modernize the practice of green solution chemistry by applying the theory to the practice of solvent substitution.

Ethyl Lactate as a Green Solvent: Processes, Performance and Air Quality Impacts

Student: Salome Usakuhyel Raymond

Email: rxn502@york.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Terry Dillon

Location: University of York

Industrial Partner: Thomas Swan

As most solvents are still derived from fossil fuels, The net-zero agenda is motivating research in York and elsewhere to find sustainable replacement solvents. These new “green” compounds need to perform well with regard to metrics such as aquatic impact, toxicity, flammability, explosivity and solvent performance. 

Ethyl lactate is a bioderived solvent with several promising features. Ranked “green” by the GSK solvent guide it is water miscible and has a boiling point of 154°C, similar to many undesirable reprotoxic solvents, e.g. DMF (153°C). Little is known of the fate of ethyl lactate upon release to the atmosphere. Based in the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE), this project will look at solvent benchmarking experiments across a range of applications, green synthetic chemistry and simulations using Hansen Solubility Parameters in Practice and Kamlett-Taft parameters.

Fuels from Lignocellulosic Residues

Student: Amy Lumsdon

Email: A.Lumsdon2@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Anh Phan

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: PuriFire Labs Ltd

Renewable and advanced liquid fuels will play an important role in the transition to Net Zero emissions by 2050, particularly in “hard-to-abate” sectors. Although lignocellulosic residue-derived liquid fuels have been investigated via bio/chemical and thermochemical processes, significant challenges remain in that pre-treatments remove large percentages of the feedstock (lignin), low yield overall and/or low quality of products. This project focuses on the development of a novel approach to convert the residues to advanced liquid fuels with minimum upgrading requirements. This is a co-created project with PuriFire Labs Ltd.

This project investigates advanced liquid fuels production focusing on mechanistic understanding effects of types of feedstock and operating conditions on products properties, as well as assessing sustainability and techno-economic feasibility of the developed technology and products in Newcastle University.

Revolutionising High-Throughput Experimentation for Sustainable Catalysis

Student: Alex Bradley

Email: ab3029@york.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Ian Fairlamb

Location: University of York

Industrial Partner: Johnson Matthey

Despite its potential, HTE faces challenges in reproducibility and scalability. This project directly addresses these issues by focusing on industrially relevant Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling (SMCC) and Buchwald-Hartwig amination (BHA) reactions. This project will investigate the entire HTE workflow, from reagent characterisation to advanced data analysis, ensuring seamless translation from small-scale screening to practical applications. Bio-based solvents, reagents, additives and ligands will be explored in the HTE workflows to enable a robust and reliable comparison to be made with petroleum-based counterparts.

A key aspect of this research will involve understanding and mitigating the impact of impurities, in common metal pre-catalysts, crucial for minimising toxic side-products. The potential of more sustainable earth-abundant metal catalysts like Ni and Fe in cross-coupling reactions will also be explored.

Investigating Activation Pathways of Industrially Critical Pd Cross-Coupling Pre-Catalysts

Student: Ben Chapman

Email: rkl524@york.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Ian Fairlamb

Location: University of York

Industrial Partner: Johnson Matthey

Johnson-Matthey are interested in the design, synthesis and catalytic activity of palladium pre-catalysts for application in industrially-critical cross-coupling reactions (such as Suzuki-Miyaura and Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reactions). The mechanisms of activation of palladium pre-catalysts depends on many reaction parameters and exogenous chemical triggers. The primary focus of the project is to improve efficiency and sustainability in industrial processes that are dependent on the use of homogeneous precious palladium pre-catalysts. Mechanistic studies will be used to elucidate pre-catalyst activations pathways, with the global aim to contribute towards the development of greener and more efficient cross-coupling methodologies that can contribute positively to net-zero targets.

Bioprocess Intensification for Carbon Dioxide and Waste-derived Feedstock Conversion to Bio-based Products

Student: Louise Amor-Seabrooke

Email: l.c.amor-seabrooke@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Sharon Velasquez-Orta and Prof Adam Harvey

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: Biofuel Evolution Ltd and CPI

To effectively address the climate crisis, we must transition towards a net-zero future and embrace a circular economy framework. The process industries play a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions, making it crucial for them to adopt sustainable practices. This includes utilising renewable fuels, materials, and resources to decarbonize operations and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Through collaboration between Biofuel Evolution Ltd, the PINZ CDT team, and CPI, this project will investigate the biological conversion of captured carbon dioxide and waste-derived feedstocks into renewable products.

Data analytics to map the composition of waste-derived feedstocks across domestic and global geographic regions will help us examine how seasonality (in particular weather conditions), might affect their fundamental characteristics and how waste streams will differ geographically. By understanding this, we can then design, evolve and optimise highly characterised biocatalysts, microorganisms, and microbial consortia to convert waste-based feedstocks into new products. Finally, using CPI’s pilot plant facilities, the project will assess the scalability and usability of the processes and technologies that have demonstrated in a laboratory environment, expanding on the breakthroughs and key learnings discovered.

Towards Net Zero by optimising thermal energy recovery and management in the waste-water sector

Student: Abubakar Kuburi

Email: A.Kuburi2@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Richard Law and
Professor Adam Harvey

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: Northumbrian Water Ltd

The recent energy crisis is placing strain on the waste-water sector to treat sewage in a cost-effective, energy-efficient manner. Additionally, increasingly stringent environmental legislation relating to total nitrogen content will impose an additional thermal energy burden on the treatment of sludge in the coming years. As a result, Northumbrian Water Ltd are investing significant sums on the development of novel processes to reduce the energy burden on-site.This project will investigate the feasibility of recovering low-grade waste heat in the waste-water sector via a comprehensive modelling and optimisation study.

Key milestones will include:

Comprehensive auditing to ascertain the amount and grade of waste heat available, and potential uses

Modelling and optimisation of suitable recovery strategies, including the consideration of novel means of heat upgrade

Extrapolation of results to the wider waste-water sector, developing a framework for waste heat recovery and management across the UK

The potential to design “real” systems which will be installed at Northumbrian Water Ltd sites, possibly within the timeframe of this project.

The initial focus of the study will be on two local case studies: Howdon and Bran Sands sewage works.

Accelerating catalytic reaction optimisation through an innovative reactor design for high throughput experimentation

Student: Max Atkinson

Email: msa582@york.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Ian Fairlamb

Location: University of York

Industrial Partner: Labman Automation

Fluorine-containing molecules are essential in a wide range of applications, including in many pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. This collaborative project will develop novel metal-free catalysis for the preparation of functional fluorinated molecules. Perfluoroarenes/heteroarenes will be upcycled and the fluoride liberated by this process will be recycled through tandem C-F bond formation reactions.

The project will build on recent work in our groups to develop novel, non-metal catalysts, for the sustainable manipulation of fluorine atoms. We will take perfluoroarenes/heteroarenes as starting materials, which are readily available, but in the current push to eliminate perfluorinated molecules will benefit from partial defluorination. These will be upcycled to more valuable building blocks by C-F bond functionalisation, developing catalysis based on simple phosphines reported by Slattery and Lynam.1

C-F activation liberates an equivalent of fluoride and this will be captured and utilised in tandem, enantioselective C-F bond formation processes. This will make use of recent advances by Gouverneur, using chiral ureas as hydrogen bonding phase-transfer catalysts.2 The project will involve synthesis, catalyst development and mechanistic studies and will leverage the complementary expertise in York and Oxford to provide broad training.

3D-Printed Reactors for Shrinking Chemical Processes

Student: Kudzaishe Chiwara

Email: K.Chiwara1@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Adam Harvey and
Dr Jonathan McDonough

Location: Newcastle University

In this project, novel laboratory-scale continuous “flow chemistry” reactors will be designed and 3D-printed, and applied to a variety of real reactions from industry, currently performed in batch, to demonstrate “process intensification” and rapid, scalable process development/optimisation.

Previous work in the area by the Process Intensification Group has demonstrated that many batch processes can be made significantly “greener” via this method of process development. One recent example is a 200-fold reduction in reactor size while removing an organic solvent altogether, whilst maintaining productivity and improving yield/selectivity etc. We expect to achieve similar results with our current reactions, leading to huge reductions in carbon footprint, to help the process industries move towards Net Zero. Our 3D printing approach is highly flexible, meaning the impact of this work will be potentially far-reaching.

Development of Sustainable Manufacturing Processes for Confectionery Products

Student: Robyn Davies Haley

Email: R.Haley3@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Adam Harvey and
Dr Richard Law

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: Nestlé

Climate change is one of society’s greatest challenges. As the world’s largest food and beverage company, Nestlé has pledged its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving net zero emissions from their global manufacturing processes by 2050.

The objective is to develop an alternative method to cook confectionery products, replacing the current steam-based cooking process with an electrified energy source that does not rely on fossil fuels.

In this project, thermal properties of materials and heat transfer will be considered to explore and evaluate potential solutions. The project involves researching and assessing state-of-the-art technologies, determining their technical feasibility, and identifying how they can be leveraged to formulate a sustainable cooking solution.

Decarbonisation of thermal separation processes for removing water and organic solvents from high-performance ingredients

Student: Mohammad Hosseinpour

Email: M.Hosseinpour2@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Jonathan Lee and
Dr Greg Mutch

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: Croda

Established in 1925, Croda is the name behind sustainable, high-performance ingredients and technologies in some of the world’s most successful brands: creating, making and selling speciality chemicals that are relied on by industries and consumers everywhere. This project will help to support Croda’s “Net Zero by 2050” strategy, enabling them to invest in low-carbon, intensified processes that meet their future manufacturing needs.

A range of thermal separation processes are applied across Croda, and these are estimated to contribute significantly towards Croda’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Croda is setting ambitious sustainability targets, and it is essential that manufacturing sites have visibility of technologies that can reduce the energy consumption of processes such as distillation, that are heavily reliant on natural gas.

This project will first review the various thermal separation processes employed at manufacturing sites across Croda and then determine where alternative technologies can provide a material improvement in carbon emissions without affecting product quality. Experimental and trial work will follow, to ultimately provide recommendations for potential improvements to current manufacturing processes, with the aim of reducing GHG emissions.

Reducing the Carbon Footprints of Syngenta Processes by Process Intensification via Flow Chemistry

Student: Kypros Iakovou

Email: K.Iakovou1@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Adam Harvey and
Dr Jonathan McDonough

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: Syngenta

Syngenta, a global leader in agricultural science and technology, is committed to developing innovative solutions that help farmers grow crops more sustainably while addressing global food security challenges. With a focus on cutting-edge research and development, Syngenta continually explores new methodologies to enhance its product development and manufacturing processes.

In line with this commitment, Syngenta is exploring the potential of “flow chemistry” in agrochemical research and production. This approach, which has gained significant traction in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, offers numerous advantages for rapid process development and scale-up, while ensuring more efficient continuous processing compared to traditional batch methods.

This project aims to design and test cutting edge laboratory-scale continuous reactors, applying them to various agrochemical reactions currently performed in batch. This initiative seeks to demonstrate “process intensification” and facilitate rapid, scalable process development and optimization. Previous work in this area has shown that many batch processes can be made significantly more sustainable through this method.

This work will potentially lead to substantial reductions in Syngenta’s carbon footprint and supporting Syngenta’s journey towards Net Zero emissions.

3D Heat Pipe Technology

Student: Kyle McLean

Email: K.McLean1@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Richard Law and
Dr Jonathan McDonough

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: Boyd

This PhD project will develop next generation 3D Heat Pipes, to maximise thermal transport efficiency within advanced electronics for space and terrestrial applications. Vapour chambers and loop heat pipes are proposed for development into a 3D format. Vapour chambers are ultra-thin heat pipes used to rapidly spread heat in the x-y plane. They have various applications in electronics cooling/heat spreading. 3D vapour chambers are a recent advancement combining a state-of-art 2D vapour chamber with a traditional heat pipe structure to allow heat spreading and dissipation across all 3 dimensions. Loop heat pipes incorporate a complex evaporator with flexible transport lines, that require development for utilisation in a 3D environment. This project focuses on the advancement of vapour chambers and loop heat pipes into 3 dimensional environments.

Potential applications include in-orbit satellite applications, where maximising thermal performance of waste heat transport from discrete, high heat flux heat sources is paramount, and aerospace applications where the geometry between the heat dissipating source and the heat sink may be tortuous. Other applications include battery pack cooling, cooling of PEMD fuel cells and various other key enabling technologies in the drive to net zero. This PhD project within the PINZ CDT works closely with Boyd Ashington Ltd to develop the next generation of 3D cooling technologies.

Investigating the impact of gigaton-scale direct air carbon capture on natural resources

Student: Annabel Bowkett

Email: a.g.bowkett@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Greg Mutch and Professor Oliver Heidrich

Location: Newcastle University

Direct air capture (DAC) is an engineered approach for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and is expected to play a significant role in many climate mitigation pathways. As a diverse range of DAC technologies moves toward large-scale deployment, it is important to understand their broader environmental implications and resource requirements.

This project uses life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impacts and resource demands associated with large-scale DAC deployment. It develops a consistent framework to assess multiple technologies across their full life cycles, considering factors such as energy, land, water, materials, and emissions. The aim is to identify key impact areas and support more sustainable technology development.

 

Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of a Microwave Plasma Device for CO₂ Sequestration and Utilisation

Student: Sam Barber

Email: S.Barber3@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Adam Harvey and Dr Richard Law

Location: Newcastle University

Industry Partner: ARCS Evolution Ltd

This project will investigate the “ARCS Chamber”, a novel device for CCS and CCU. The aims of the project are:

(i) To assess the unit’s potential for carbon sequestration from gas streams containing CO and CO₂

(ii) To develop an improved and more fundamental understanding of the mass and energy balances and reactions taking place within the system.

The study will combine theoretical analysis with targeted experimental investigation to understand the physical and chemical mechanisms operating within the ARCS process. The carbon-focused part of the work will examine whether, and under what conditions, the ARCS process may support the capture, transformation, deposition, or stabilisation of carbon derived from CO and CO₂ in treated gas streams. The energy-focused part of the work will investigate the distribution of microwave energy within the system and the balance between energy input, plasma effects, gas heating and cooling, heat losses, phase changes, chemical reactions, and any other mechanisms that may explain the unexpectedly large drop in gas temperature across the chamber.

This deeper understanding will feed into the design, operation and use scenarios of the ARCS unit.

Advanced Process Intensification Strategies for Chemical and Catalytic Reactions Using Taylor–Couette Reactor Technology

Student: Jessica Ensor

Email: J.Ensor2@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Kamelia Boodhoo and Dr Fernando Russo Abegão

Location: Newcastle University

Taylor-Couette reactors offer a unique way to enhance mixing, shear and transport by exploiting flow with controlled vortices generated between rotating cylinders. With flow regimes that can be precisely tuned from laminar to turbulent, these systems have enormous potential for process intensification in chemical reactions and solid handling. 

This PhD project will tackle the key challenges limiting their wider application in industry-relevant processes. The project will investigate how reactor geometry and engineered microstructures influence hydrodynamics, performance and product uniformity in selected chemical and/or catalytic reactions and solids processing. Through a combination of experimental investigation and fundamental analysis, the work will help define the next generation of industrial-scale Taylor-Couette reactor design, delivering better performance, greater reliability, and new opportunities for sustainable chemical manufacturing.  

Development of a Novel Microwave Non-thermal Plasma Reactor for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Utilisation

Student: Finlay Jaworski

Email: F.Jaworski2@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Adam Harvey and Dr Evangelos Papaioannou

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: ARCS Evolution Ltd

This project will focus on developing the design of a novel microwave-based non-thermal reactor developed by ARCS Evolution Ltd. The reactor is known as the “ARCS chamber” and is used for non-thermal plasma treatment of gas streams. The aim of the PhD is to understand how chamber design and operating conditions influence exhaust gas clean-up performance. The study will focus on the interaction between chamber geometry, chamber construction materials, microwave operating conditions, and gas-stream properties, and how variation in these factors affects the removal or conversion of key gas-phase species and particulate content.

A structured Design of Experiments (DOE) methodology will be used to investigate the principal operating variables to be explored, allowing rapid exploration of the parameter space. The research will combine design space exploration, heuristic investigation, and statistical analysis to identify promising chamber configurations and operating windows. The outcome will be a clearer engineering understanding of how ARCS chamber design can be varied to improve the performance of non-thermal plasma treatment for polluted gas streams. 

Pathways to Net Zero: Decarbonising Cellulosic Film Manufacturing in the UK Chemicals Sector

Student: Ryan Masocha

Email: R.Masocha1@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Richard Law and Professor Adam Harvey

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: Futamura Ltd

Futamura Ltd has been a global leader in the development and production of cellulose films, driving innovation in cellulosic packaging solutions for more than 75 years. With a commitment to renewable resources and environmental responsibility, Futamura continues to lead the way in creating high-performance, renewable and compostable films and solutions that help businesses meet their sustainability goals.

The aim of the project is to develop a near-term and longer-term decarbonisation strategy for the UK chemicals sector, with specific focus on Futamura’s site in Wigton, which has challenges broadly representative of the sector at large. Preliminary objectives include:

(i) Site-wide audit to fully understand the on-site challenges of energy efficiency, heat integration and the potential for net-zero operation.

(ii) Thorough review of technologies for energy efficiency gains and decarbonisation of process heat. This will include unit-operation-level solutions, and system level/utility supply solutions.

(iii) Mapping of opportunities to both Futamura site and the sector more broadly.

(iv) Assessment of opportunities: Technoeconomic analysis. Sensitivity analysis. Life cycle analysis. Identification of optimal solutions at unit operation and system levels.

(v) Roadmapping and wider context.

The project will make a contribution to knowledge in providing a thorough analysis of the technoeconomic and environmental case for decarbonisation routes in the UK chemicals sector. In addition to this, the sponsoring company hope to identify both near-term and long-term strategies for their own site, supporting their own goals for decarbonisation and energy security. Hence there are clear opportunities for both small scale, measurable, impact locally and significant influence on the decarbonisation strategy for the sector at large.

Decarbonising the Future of Marine Energy Systems

Student: Hugh Twelves

Email: H.Twelves1@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Ben Wetenhall, Dr Greg Mutch and Dr Kayvan Pazouki

Location: Newcastle University

Around 90% of global trade is transported by sea, making shipping one of the foundations of modern life. As the maritime sector works towards ambitious Net Zero targets, there is an urgent need to develop cleaner propulsion technologies. This exciting PhD project will explore how emerging fuels can be integrated into marine energy systems without compromising performance or reliability.

This project will develop advanced lifecycle and systems-level models to analyse how these fuels perform, from production and storage to onboard use and energy conversion. Using cutting-edge simulation and analysis techniques, the project will investigate fuel pathways, engine behaviour, hybrid power systems, energy flows, and emissions, helping identify routes to greater efficiency and lower environmental impact.

Systematic investigation of pyrolysis process and products for sustainable biochar production

Student: Aditya Tiwari

Email: A.Tiwari4@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Anjali  Jayakumar and
Professor Adam Harvey

Location: Newcastle University

This PhD project aims to systematically investigate and enhance the pyrolysis process of crop waste, focusing on improving efficiency and product quality. The research will cover various aspects of the process, including exploring the entire operational range across different production scales to minimize environmental impact and production costs. Additionally, the study will assess potential revenue streams available by analysing advanced application scenarios for the solid, liquid, and gaseous by-products of pyrolysis. These analyses will be based on process and product characterisation, comprehensive life cycle and techno-economic assessments to align with evolving market trends and client needs, as well as to support biochar-based carbon dioxide removal initiatives.

Chemical Engineering for Sustainable Wastewater-to-Resource Systems

Student: Evelyn Tosh

Email: E.Tosh2@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Elizabeth Heidrich and Dr Richard Law

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: METzero Technologies Ltd

This PhD project targets a key challenges in sustainable process engineering: translating microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) technology from lab-scale innovation to robust, industrial deployment.

The research will sit at the interface of reaction engineering, process systems engineering, and industrial deployment.

The work will develop and optimise scalable MEC systems for real industrial wastewater, focusing on process intensification, dynamic operation, and resource recovery. The project combines modelling, pilot-scale experimentation, and techno-economic assessment to establish MECs as viable unit operations within next-generation wastewater treatment plants.

This research will contribute to technology being developed for real-world deployment with water utilities and food & beverage manufacturers, working closely with the spinout company METzero Technologies.

Algae-omics

Student: Rachel Lorna Younger

Email: R.L.Younger2@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Jonathan Lee and Dr Gary Caldwell

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: Northumbrian Water Ltd

Microalgae are playing increasingly prominent roles in wastewater bioremediation, where their well-known ability to absorb metals, nitrogen and phosphorous is used in solar driven processes that clean up the wastewater.

A process co-developed by Newcastle University and Northumbrian Water Ltd (NWL) and installed at the Bran Sands treatment works on Teesside, uses an ammonophilic microalga (Chlorococcum sp.) originally isolated from Bran Sands to remediate ammonium from the site’s anaerobic digesters. The process is stable, well characterised, and is being implemented at scale. It is central to NWL’s nutrient neutrality and net zero ambitions. However, the alga’s biology remains a black box.

This PhD project will use minion nanopore sequencing of the alga’s genome and to define the alga’s transcriptome (following RNA-Seq) when grown under a range of ammonium levels. Understanding the genetic operational limits of the alga will enable further optimisation of the bioremediation process and offers the potential to provide the underpinning data to metabolically engineer the organism in the future. This ‘omics approach will also enable the prediction of other pollutants that this organism can remediate in addition to any valuable biochemicals that may be extracted from the biomass.

Development of Continuous Flow Reactor System for CO₂ Hydrogenation to Acetic Acid and Ethanol

Student: Ellie Unwin

Email: eu576@york.ac.uk

Supervisors: Professor Simon Duckett and Professor Richard  Douthwaite

Location: University of York

Industrial Partner: COOloop

Carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) technologies offer a route to sustainable chemical production by transforming captured CO₂ into valuable products. Acetic acid and ethanol are widely used industrial chemicals with established markets and infrastructure, making them ideal early targets for carbon-derived production. COOloop has developed and validated a novel catalyst platform capable of converting CO₂ to oxygenated products including formic acid, acetic acid and ethanol at laboratory scale. The next critical step is transitioning from batch laboratory reactions to continuous flow systems capable of generating industry-relevant performance data, enabling pilot-scale development. This project aims to design, optimise, and validate a continuous flow CO₂ hydrogenation system for the production of acetic acid and ethanol using COOloop catalysts. This will be achieved through a combination of catalyst translation to flow, reactor design and process optimisation, kinetic modelling alongside a technoeconomic and carbon impact analysis.

Predictive Modelling for Next-Generation Pharmaceutical Manufacturing 

Student: Anahita Shahbakhsh

Email: A.Shahbakhsh1@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Colin Hare and Dr Jie Zhang

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: AstraZeneca

This industrially focused project, co-supervised by AstraZeneca and Newcastle University, will develop predictive models for pharmaceutical manufacturing and provide access to industrial data and high-performance computing facilities.

Continuous Direct Compression (CDC) is rapidly emerging as a preferred method for pharmaceutical tablet production. A central challenge is powder blending, where active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) must be uniformly mixed with excipients to ensure precise, consistent dosage and product quality.  This PhD project will develop predictive computational models, validated using experiments and industrial data, to transform how pharmaceutical blending processes are designed and scaled. The project combines simulation, high-performance computing and industrially relevant experimentation.

Whole system optimisation of bioresources

Student: Dominic Gardiner

Email: D.V.Gardiner1@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Mark Willis and Dr Chris O’Malley

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: Northumbrian Water Ltd

Northumbrian Water Ltd (NWL) operates two Advanced Anaerobic Digestion Plants (AAD), one on Teesside and one on Tyneside. These plants process more than 70,000 tonnes of biosolids, generating 160GWh of biofuels. Most of the biosolids are collected by road from across the North East of England – from the Scottish Border to the North York Moors. The biosolids have a high water content – meaning NWL transfers around 750,000 tonnes of material each year into the two sites and following treatment, the residual product is deposited to land as fertiliser – a further 100,000 tonnes of material moved. This haulage activity uses approximately 1.6million litres of diesel each year.

This project will builds on existing optimisation work by Newcastle University and NWL and will aim to define the ideal operational strategy for the whole bioresources system. Key areas of focus are:

Biosolids movements: optimisation/ minimisation of road movements
Fleet transition: from diesel to electric/ alternative fuels
AAD optimisation: building on existing optimiser platform
Land deposit optimisation in a changing regulatory environment.

Brewing a Net Zero Future: Sustainable Pathways for Small Breweries

Student: Lawrie Shrimpton

Email: L.Shrimpton2@newcastle.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Chris O’Malley and Professor Adam Harvey

Location: Newcastle University

Industrial Partner: Stu Brew

The transition to Net Zero presents significant challenges across UK industry. For small and medium-sized enterprises, however, the financial and operational barriers to adopting new low-carbon technologies and green chemistry principles can be particularly difficult to overcome.

This PhD, delivered in collaboration with Stu Brew, offers an exciting opportunity to develop practical, cost-effective solutions that support the implementation of Green Chemistry principles in brewing. Working closely with an innovative and growing business, the successful candidate will investigate how emerging technologies can be integrated into existing infrastructure to optimise energy efficiency and drive towards safer solvent use in the brewing process.

The project will take a whole-systems approach to sustainability, exploring opportunities not only in energy management but also in water use, CO₂ utilisation, resource recovery, and the valorisation of process by-products. The research will combine engineering, environmental assessment, and economic analysis to identify realistic pathways towards improved sustainability and operational efficiency.

The research will employ Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), alongside other analytical and modelling approaches, to evaluate and benchmark a range of technologies and interventions. The project will generate evidence-based recommendations that Stu Brew can implement to further reduce environmental impacts while maintaining commercial viability.

The outcomes of this research are expected to have relevance well beyond a single company. By developing solutions applicable to small and medium-sized breweries across the UK, the project has the potential to influence sustainability practices throughout the sector. Through Stu Berw’s extensive network of industry collaborators, the findings will be shared widely, creating opportunities for impact at both national and international levels.