Sustainable Transport and Fuels
Emissions from a hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered aircraft characterization and mitigation study
Aviation accounts for 3.5 % of anthropogenic radiative forcing, the two main contributions being contrail cirrus and carbon dioxide emissions. To meet Paris agreement's goals, it will probably rely on hydrogen for 13% to 22% of its energy use in 2050. Releasing up to 4.3 times more water than kerosene aviation, and hydrogen being a perturbating agent of the methane cycle, it is relevant to investigate the environmental impact of such aircrafts' emissions. This thesis assesses the emissions from the operation of a fuel-cell powered hydrogen aircraft, evaluates the resulting environmental impact, and studies mitigation strategies to reduce the foretold impact.
Supervisors:
- Professor Anthony Kucernak, Department of Chemistry
Assessment of biofuels as a marine fuel in the decarbonisation of superyachts, West Mediterranean
Superyachts are a niche in the maritime sector with unique requirements and usage. In the region in which they operate, they have a significant socio-economic and environmental impact. The Mediterranean region, especially the West Mediterranean, is favored by superyachts all year long.
In recent years, superyacht stakeholders are calling for a more sustainable approach as public pressure grows. In this context, an effort to decarbonise the existing fleet using advanced drop-in biofuels is underway. This project aims to analyse quantitatively the use of such biofuels in the superyacht sector. It will also provide recommendations for developing biofuel bunkering in the West Mediterranean.
Supervisors:
- Professor Anna Korre, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London
- Denis Martin Fraga, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London
Analysis of anaerobic digestion of olive mill waste in Jaén Spain
This project analyses the adoption of anaerobic digestion as a waste treatment and energy production method for highly pollutant olive oil mill waste products in Jaén Spain, the largest olive oil producing region in the world. Data collection was done through interviews with two organizations in Spain, the IOC and ANEO, and five olive mill site visits. A method of adopting anaerobic digestion is recommended based on the findings and an economic analysis to see the viability of this implementation. Then the energy sector and policy linked to the region is assessed and recommendations on how to best implement this technology are made and its benefits are outlined.
Supervisors:
- Dr Rocio Diaz-Chavez, Natural Sciences, Centre for Environmental Policy
Assessment of bio-LNG and bio-methanol as marine fuels in the decarbonisation of the shipping sector
Emissions from the shipping industry account for more than 3% of global emissions. As a result, the IMO has set ambitious decarbonisation targets for the marine sector. This, along with efforts within the industry have led to the consideration of a wide range of fuels and energy carriers as potentially viable decarbonisation options. Among these, bio-LNG and bio-methanol stand out due to their emissions reduction potential, and suitability for use within existing infrastructure.
This project aims to develop lifecycle models to quantitatively analyse the value chains of these fuels. The results of this assessment will provide useful information for industry stakeholders and policy makers.
Supervisors:
- Professor Anna Korre, Department of Earth Science and Engineering
- Denis Fraga (MSc.), Department of Earth Science and Engineering
An Analysis of Gasification of Olive Pomace in South Spain
The aim of this project is to assess the current state of the olive oil sector with a specific focus on its waste management and energy production. Current waste-to-energy treatments implemented in this industry focus on combustion. However, this study investigates the role that integrated gasification plants can hold in creating a circular bioeconomy for the olive sector. The analysis includes visits to 5 sites in Spain and interviews with the International Olive Council (IOC) and The National Association of Olive Pomace Oil Companies to access the current state of the industry, surrounding policy and future challenges that the adoption of this technology will face.
Supervisors:
- Dr Rocio Diaz-Chavez, Centre for Environmental Policy
- Dr Eulogio Castro, Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Jaen
Towards a Sustainable Aviation Future: An Allocation strategy to optimise SAF supply and maximise climate benefit
The aviation sector alone accounts for 3.5% of global radiative forcing and is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. Over 50% of this impact is caused by non-CO2 effects - primarily, the radiative forcing from contrails. The use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) has the potential to reduce both CO2 emissions and contrail presence. If all 2019 flights had been fuelled by SAF, 51% of contrail radiative forcing would have been avoided. However, SAFs account for just 0.01% of jet fuel use today. This thesis targets SAF usage on high contrail forming airports. We propose a practical and optimised deployment that delivers greater climate benefit than the EU's proposed uniform allocation.
Supervisors:
- Dr Marc Stettler, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Dr Roger Teoh, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Sustainable urban transportation systems: ABM as a decision-support tool for policy-making
Realisation of sustainable development goals at the urban level is essential as urban areas account for a major share of global resource consumption and 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation plays a key role in the functioning of urban ecosystems, however, traditional approach to transport systems historically favoured motorised vehicle-dependency and car-centric policies, overlooking the broader environmental, economic, and social factors. This project focuses on designing an agent-based model (ABM) for impact assessment of potential measures and ex ante policy analysis to help decision-makers choose appropriate actions for sustainable transport system planning.
Supervisors:
- Dr Koen van Dam, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London
- Dr Liu Yang, School of Architecture, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
Green Methanol and Ammonia Powered Shipping
This work presents a technical analysis of alternative fuel electric propulsion systems for shipping vessels using novel fuel cell technologies in an effort to decarbonise the shipping industry which is one of the major emitters of harmful greenhouse gas and pollutant chemicals across all of transportation sector. Relevant indicators which includes environmental impact due to emission produced, mass & volume occupancy, and economic feasibility plays a key role in determining compatibility with the scale of shipping vessel.
Supervisors:
- Professor Anthony Kucernak, Department of Chemistry
- Professor Nigel Brandon, Department of Earth Science and Engineering
- Dr Catalina Pino-Munoz, Department of Earth Science and Engineering