PhD Opportunity in Hydrogen Production from Wastewater

4 weeks ago


Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom University of Nottingham Full time

Programme Duration: Four years

Project Overview


An exceptional opportunity is available for a driven and skilled PhD candidate to engage in groundbreaking research focused on the generation of hydrogen from wastewater and the conversion of hydrogen and CO2 into sustainable liquid fuels.


The United Kingdom generates a substantial volume of municipal wastewater, comparable to the flow rate of the River Thames. This wastewater treatment consumes 1-3% of the nation's energy and carbon budget.

The objective of this project is to transform this expenditure into a valuable resource by converting the organic components in the wastewater into hydrogen fuel.

In particular, a pioneering microbial electrolysis cell will be engineered to process water and yield a net energy gain from the entire operation, contrasting with the energy losses associated with current wastewater treatment methods.

As the logistics and infrastructure costs for the collection, compression, and storage of hydrogen pose challenges to competing with traditional liquid fuels, an additional focus of this research will be to convert hydrogen and CO2 into valuable products, utilizing energy derived entirely from waste.


This project is primarily funded by the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Negative Emissions Technologies for Net Zero (NET2Zero), with supplementary support from Wastewater Fuels Ltd.

As part of the CDT programme, candidates will benefit from a comprehensive, interdisciplinary training curriculum and skills enhancement.

Supervisory Team:
Professor Hao Liu, Dr Ming Li (University of Nottingham), Dr James Stratford (Wastewater Fuels Ltd).

Funding Details


The studentship encompasses Home/UK tuition fees and offers a tax-free stipend (£19,237 per annum), along with additional financial support for research, travel, and CDT centre activities.


Eligibility and Academic Requirements
Due to funding constraints, applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for UK/home tuition fees status.

Ideal candidates should possess or anticipate obtaining a first-class or a high 2.1 honour degree and/or a master's degree (or their equivalent) in materials sciences, chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, microbiology, or a related discipline.


Application Process


For informal inquiries and to express interest, please reach out to the supervisory team.



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