Assessing the Potential of Synthetic Fuels for Low Carbon Transport in UK and Globally

交通运输的脱碳对于实现英国既定的温室气体净零排放的目标至关重要。合成燃料，包括一系列生物质衍生燃料和可再生氢与捕获的二氧化碳结合生产的燃料，预计将在减少航运和航空部门的排放方面发挥关键作用，也可能在客运公路运输方面发挥关键作用。在英国，经济高效的海上风电的快速扩张和碳捕获技术的部署将为国内燃料生产行业提供必要的资源。该博士项目将开发新的生命周期评估和技术经济方法，以评估英国合成材料生产的潜力及其在轻型车队中的应用，并将研究结果扩展到重型公路车队、铁路、船舶和/或航空部门。所采取的综合办法将考虑当前和未来氢气生产路线和二氧化碳来源的混合；燃料生产过程的预期发展；以及在运输应用中直接替代传统燃料的适用性。

Decarbonisation of transport is essential to achieve the UK's stated goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Synthetic fuels, which include a range of biomass-derived fuels and those produced by combining renewable hydrogen and captured CO2, are expected play a crucial role in reducing emissions in shipping and aviation sectors, and potentially in passenger road transport as well. In the UK context, the rapid expansion of cost-effective offshore wind and the deployment of carbon capture technologies will provide the necessary resources that could underpin a domestic fuel production industry. This PhD project will develop novel life cycle assessment and techno-economic approaches to assess the potential for synthetic production within the UK and their use in the light duty vehicle fleet, and extend findings to the heavy-duty road fleet, rail, marine, and/or aviation sectors. The comprehensive approach undertaken will consider the current and future mix of hydrogen production routes and CO2 sources; anticipated developments in fuel production processes; and suitability for direct substitution for conventional fuels in transport applications.