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Applications are invited for a three year full-time PhD to commence in October 2024 or February 2025. 

The PhD will be based in the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, and will be supervised by Professor Victor Becerra, Dr Brett Martinson and Dr Keiron Roberts.

Candidates applying for this project may be eligible to compete for one of a small number of bursaries available. Successful applicants will receive a bursary to cover tuition fees for three years and a stipend in line with the UKRI rate (£18,622 for 2023/24).Bursary recipients will also receive a contribution of £1,500 per year towards consumables, conference, project or training costs.

Costs for student visas and immigration health surcharges are not covered by this bursary. For further guidance and advice visit our international and EU students ‘Visa FAQs’ page.

Decarbonising ports presents a significant challenge in the transition to net zero, as an example of multi-modal transport hubs with multiple users and complexities. ºÚÁÏÈë¿Ú International Port is taking an active lead through shore side power solutions, and the 4.5 year SEA CHANGE project will provide a portside solution to emissions reduction. This PhD will work alongside industry partners (ºÚÁÏÈë¿Ú International Port, Brittany Ferries, Iotics, B4T) and multiple academics from across the university over the 3 year demonstrator phase of the £23M project, enabling you to help deliver actionable solutions to the maritime problem.

This PhD project aims to help study the future electricity system at ºÚÁÏÈë¿Ú International Port by creating a scalable microgrid model. This model will combine the shore power system, the existing battery system, the port’s connection to the national grid, and the port's solar PV resources, to meet the port's energy needs in an efficient and effective manner. A key part of the project is studying and modeling the electricity demands of different vessels to ensure the shore power system can serve them effectively. The project will also explore new charging technologies to speed up the charging process of hybrid ferries while reducing the impact on the grid. Additionally, a new control system for the existing battery system will be developed to better support shore power operations, and will investigate future needs to expand energy storage at the port. Finally, the project will evaluate the environmental benefits brought about by the new smart shore power system at the port, aiming to quantify the reduction in emissions and other environmental advantages. Through these efforts, the PhD project hopes to contribute to making maritime operations at ºÚÁÏÈë¿Ú International Port more sustainable and efficient.

How to apply

We encourage you to contact Professor Victor Becerra (victor.becerra@port.ac.uk) to discuss your interest before you apply, quoting the project code.

When you are ready to apply, you can use our . Make sure you submit a personal statement, proof of your degrees and grades, details of two referees (of which at least one should be able to provide an academic reference), proof of your English language proficiency and an up-to-date CV. Our ‘How to Apply’ page offers further guidance on the PhD application process. 

If you want to be considered for this funded PhD opportunity you must quote project code SENE8690124 when applying. Please note that email applications are not accepted.