SAF for Planetary Boundaries:  Building Next-Generation Bio-Refinery in Türkiye

Berk Baris Ozbek

The IATA Net Zero CO₂ Pathways report identifies SAF as aviation's top decarbonization lever. However, current biomass feedstocks risk already worsening water scarcity, land use, and food security due to climate change. Aligning SAF with planetary boundaries requires next-gen feedstocks protecting food, land, and biodiversity. This thesis tests producing SAF from such feedstocks. Focusing on Türkiye (diverse agriculture, abundant residues/waste streams), it aims to maximize SAF output while: 1. Building sustainable, diversified feedstock supply chain; 2. Valorizing wastes within the proposed system to create additional revenue; 3. Maintaining costs competitive with conventional jet fuel.

Supervisor(s)

  • Professor Jeremy Woods (Centre for Environmental Policy)
  • Professor Jason Hallett (Chemical Engineering)
  • Yasar M. Yetiskin (ICF)

Spatial and Temporal Characterisation of UK Green Hydrogen Demand Compatible with Offshore Wind-based Production

Fletcher Adams

Hydrogen remains a crucial tool for decarbonising hard to abate sectors such as heavy industry. The UK’s most abundant renewable energy resource, offshore wind, offers a promising opportunity for co-producing green hydrogen with electricity. While the Climate Change Committees recent Carbon Budget 7 presents updated national projections for hydrogen demand through to 2050, it provides limited detailed information into the spatial distribution of this demand. This research seeks to categorise and quantify hydrogen demand that could be met by offshore wind, with a focus on aligning regional supply potential with industrial demand centres.

Supervisor(s)

  • Dr Mahdi Sharifzadeh (Chemical Engineering)
  • Professor Nilay Shah (Chemical Engineering)

High Performance Concrete For Large-Scale Seasonal Storage of Liquid Hydrogen

Jiaxuan Liu

Liquid hydrogen (LH₂) is crucial for decarbonization, but cryogenic storage poses material challenges. This research develops high-performance concrete (HPC) for LH₂ storage systems, focusing on ultra-dense, low-permeability properties to prevent leakage and enhanced ductility to resist thermal cracking during cryogenic cooling. Through controlled mixture designs and cryogenic exposure tests, we demonstrate HPC's potential for reliable seasonal LH₂ storage, advancing sustainable energy infrastructure.

Supervisor(s)

  • Dr Chao Wu (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
  • Dr Zhenzhou Wang (University of Southampton)
  • Dr Wendell Bailey (University of Southampton)
  • Dr Dmitry Bavykin (University of Southampton)

Adaptive Policy Ecologies to facilitate Blue and Green Hydrogen development in Saudi Arabia

Razan Hamdan J Alanazi

This project applies decision-making under uncertainty tools to evaluate how public policy interventions can enable the commercial viability of blue and green hydrogen projects in Saudi Arabia. Through financial modeling, vulnerability assessment, and pathway design, it explores how adaptive, staged government support can reduce uncertainty and improve the bankability of clean hydrogen investments under deep uncertainty. The analysis supports both firm-level decision-making and national energy strategy planning.

Supervisor(s)

  • Dr Mark Workman (Centre for Environmental Policy)
  • Dr Yousef Alshammari (Civil and Environmental Engineering)

Techno-economic Optimisation of Offshore Wind-to-Hydrogen Pathways for UK Industrial Clusters

Yi Hsuan Lee

The UK’s 2050 net-zero target has intensified efforts to decarbonise heavy industry. Offshore wind-to-hydrogen production offer a promising solution, enabling decarbonisation and more effective use of intermittent renewables through green hydrogen storage. This project assesses the techno-economics of various production pathways to meet future industrial hydrogen demand, using AIMMS optimisation modelling and QGIS-based site mapping. Optimal sites are compared with existing wind farms to evaluate retrofitting potential. Findings support strategic planning and investment in green hydrogen, advancing the UK’s low-carbon, resilient energy system.

Supervisor(s)

  • Dr Mahdi Sharifzadeh (Chemical Engineering)
  • Professor Nilay Shah (Chemical Engineering)