Developing pathways for a sustainable shipping and maritime fuel value chain in Ireland (SHIPFUEL-IE) is funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) under the National Energy Research Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Funding Programme.
The ShipFuel-IE project will assess a range of potential energy carriers (hydrogen, ammonia, methane, methanol, renewable diesels) produced either from biomass or renewable electricity as fuels for the shipping sector coupled with the infrastructural requirements of Irish ports needed to deliver such low-carbon fuels and vessel technologies (internal combustion engine or fuel cell). ShipFuel-IE will include for stakeholder engagement from across the Irish maritime sector. This will be achieved through three technical work packages, assessing the socio-techno-economic and environmental impact of: 1. Fuel production routes; 2. Refuelling infrastructure required at Irish ports; 3. Vessel technology including the option of retrofitting existing vessels. A fouth work task will utilise multi-criteria decision analysis to highlight promising pathways for the development of a low-carbon shipping sector in Ireland.
Research Group focus on renewable advanced fuel production in circular economy systems consists of approximately 20 researchers. The breadth of the work includes for analysis of systems from ocean (offshore wind and seaweed) to conversion (hydrogen, electro-fuels, gaseous and liquid biofuels) to end use (industry, transport fuel).
Detailed laboratory work includes for production of biohydrogen and biomethane from feedstocks such as agricultural residues, lignocellulosic crops, macro-algae (seaweed) and micro-algae. Research covers biological and thermochemical bioenergy pathways. The group investigates a range of innovative technologies at laboratory scale including for Power to Gas, demand driven biogas and novel biogas upgrading technologies. Fundamental and applied aspects of biomass gasification, pyrolysis, and methanation are also investigated. Work includes for desktop analyses such as chemical kinetic modelling, process simulation, geographic specific bioresources, lifecycle analysis, sustainability analyses and techno-economic studies. The research facilitates the development of roadmaps, which describe how Ireland can initiate a green gas industry and contribute to mandatory renewable energy targets for renewable heat and transport fuels.
The successful post-doc will be based in the MaREI Centre for energy, climate and marine headquartered in the Environmental Research Institute in University College Cork. MaREI is a key research centre within UCC’s Environmental Research Institute (ERI), which is an internationally recognised Institute for environmental research dedicated to the understanding and protection of our natural environment and to developing innovative technologies, tools and services to facilitate a transformation to a zero carbon and resource efficient society. The MaREI Centre is a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funded research centre headquartered in the ERI and includes 13 other Universities and Third Level Institutes across Ireland, has 50 industrial partners and has accumulated research funding of over €60m. It combines the expertise of a wide range of research groups and industry partners, with the shared mission of solving the main scientific, technical and socio-economic challenges across the climate, energy and marine spaces. MaREI is also funded by SEAI, EI, EPA, ERDF, EU, HEA, Marine Institute, DCCAE and IRC, as well as through contributions with our industry partners. Researchers in the MaREI Centre have over 30 years of experience in conducting fundamental and applied research supported by competitively won national and international funding, and commercial contracts with government agencies and industry. MaREI’s strengths lie in the multi-disciplinary nature of its research teams, allowing it to combine insights across areas such as MRE Technologies, Materials & Structures, Observations & Operations, Coastal & Marine Systems, Bioenergy, Energy Policy & Modelling and Renewable Energy Management.
