Location: Department of Chemical Engineering, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch

Degree level: Full-time research-based Masters degree in Chemical Engineering

An opportunity is available for postgraduate research at Masters level focused on the assessment and optimization of bioprocesses for the conversion of organic wastes destined for landfill-disposal into bio-ethanol. A number of postgrad positions are available, covering bioprocess optimisation for microbial conversion of preferred organic wastes, and the simulation of alternative process scenarios to identify sustainable investment opportunities.

Organic wastes such as paper and food wastes are highly amenable to bioprocess conversion to bio-ethanol, as a much higher-value product than the conventional composting or anaerobic digestion technologies. However, the technology remains industrially unproven, while substantial variations in the chemical compositions of such organic materials, together with background microbial contamination, offer technical challenges to be solved through bioprocess optimisation. Such process development and optimisation are performed at bench- and pilot-scale, before optimised process technologies are demonstrated under industrial conditions, prior to implementation.

These aforementioned postgraduate projects in this field will be conducted with the Bioresource Engineering group at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Stellenbosch University. This group has long-standing technical expertise in bioconversion of organic wastes to bio-ethanol, with some projects having progressed to industrial demonstration. Both the development of new bioprocessing methods as well as the assessment of available processes for implementation as sustainable biorefinery investment, will be covered in these postgraduate research projects.

Successful postgraduate candidates will be exposed to a network of industry participants, through on-going collaborations of the research group with industry partners, which hold the promise of future career development. Successful candidates will be offered a minimum bursary of ZAR160 000 per year of study, and can start postgraduate studies between January and July 2025.