About the project
In response to the climate crisis and to tackle global warming through reducing emissions, we must decarbonise the world’s energy. This will see a reduction in transport of oil and gas, but it is highly likely that future energy sources will need to be transported around the globe. Hydrogen is one potential future energy source. Hydrogen has a low volumetric energy density and is thus likely to require large ships for transport.
For a truly zero carbon economy, hydrogen should be produced using renewable sources of electricity via electrolysis, referred to as ‘green hydrogen’. During a transition to sufficiently abundant renewable energy, it may be that hydrogen is produced from natural gas using steam-reforming with associated carbon dioxide emissions captured and stored (or utilised), referred to as ‘blue hydrogen’. Even if such hydrogen is produced renewably, the distribution of renewable resources (supply) and energy consumption (demand) are not globally even and are unlikely to always coincide.
This project will investigate the likely supply chains of hydrogen as the world transitions to its widespread use and from blue to green production methods, including the demand for shipment in terms of number, size and speed of suitable vessels. Alongside this, the distribution and energy costs of shipment/transhipment should be considered, as should future projects of the costs of different production and shipping methods. Depending on your background, this project has the potential to be truly multi-disciplinary and would then work across Engineering and the Business School.
You will work closely with our industrial partner, Shell Shipping and Maritime. This research has the potential to significantly influence the energy transition for global shipping as it moves towards zero carbon fuels. There are opportunities to spend time with Shell Shipping and Maritime as part of your PhD studies. The PhD will contribute to the research of the Centre for Maritime Futures at the University.
