Risk and Reliability Assessment of Hybrid Methanol–Battery Marine Propulsion Systems for Maritime Decarbonisation

About the research project

The maritime industry is transitioning towards low- and zero-carbon propulsion technologies to meet increasingly stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. Methanol has emerged as a promising alternative marine fuel due to its compatibility with internal combustion engines, relatively straightforward storage and handling, and potential for significant lifecycle GHG reductions when produced from renewable sources. Integrating methanol-fuelled engines with battery energy storage systems offers further opportunities to improve energy efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and emissions, manage peak power demand, and enhance propulsion redundancy. However, the increased complexity and interdependency of hybrid methanol–battery systems introduce new safety, risk, and reliability challenges that require systematic investigation. This PhD project will investigate the risk and reliability of hybrid methanol–battery marine propulsion systems and develop an integrated assessment framework to support safe, reliable, and resilient maritime decarbonisation. Particular attention will be given to interactions among methanol fuel supply, marine engines, battery energy storage, power electronics, energy management, electrical distribution, and propulsion systems. Potential hazards and failure modes—including methanol leakage and fire, fuel supply failures, battery thermal events, cooling-system failures, electrical faults, power-management failures, blackout, and partial or complete loss of propulsion—will be systematically investigated. An engine room simulator will be used to establish representative ship operating conditions and investigate system responses under normal, abnormal, and degraded operating scenarios. Simulator-based scenarios may include normal sea passage, manoeuvring, variable engine loading, battery-assisted operation, generator or engine failure, battery-system failure, power-management failure, and loss-of-propulsion events. The simulator will provide an important link between theoretical reliability modelling and realistic marine machinery operations without requiring hazardous and costly full-scale methanol–battery experiments. Moreover, this research will employ established and advanced risk and reliability techniques, including Hazard Identification (HAZID), Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and probabilistic reliability modelling. Bayesian Networks and potentially Dynamic Bayesian Networks will be developed to represent dependencies, uncertainties, cascading failures, and time-dependent behaviour within the hybrid propulsion system. Sensitivity and importance analyses will identify critical components and failure pathways affecting system reliability and availability.

This project will ultimately develop a risk-informed reliability framework for hybrid methanol–battery propulsion and examine how hybridisation influences propulsion redundancy, availability, operational resilience, and decarbonisation performance. The findings will provide practical guidance for ship designers, marine engineers, shipowners, classification societies, and regulatory stakeholders in developing safer and more reliable low-carbon marine propulsion systems.

Primary supervisor

Meet Doctor T M Rabiul Islam

Funding

Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:

• a living allowance stipend funded by University of Tasmania of $34,315 per annum for 3.5 years
• a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
• a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)

A tuition fee offset may be offered to eligible international applicants following competitive assessment 

As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.

Other funding opportunities and fees

For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees for undertaking a research degree, please visit our Scholarships and fees on research degrees page.

Eligibility

Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.

Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.

Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:

• Applicants must meet the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements
• The degree must be undertaken on a full-time basis

Selection criteria

The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.

Additional essential selection criteria specific to this project:

• Bachelor’s degree with Honours or a Master’s degree in Marine Engineering, Naval Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Maritime Engineering, Chemical Engineering or a closely related discipline
• Strong understanding of marine propulsion systems, marine engines, ship machinery, or hybrid power and energy systems
• Knowledge or experience in risk assessment, reliability analysis, safety engineering, or system modelling

Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:

• Experience with engineering modelling or analytical tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, Python, or equivalent software
• Interest in alternative marine fuels, methanol propulsion, battery energy storage, maritime decarbonisation, and emerging marine technologies
• Experience with engine room simulators, marine machinery simulation, FMEA/FMECA, Fault Tree Analysis, Bayesian Networks, or reliability modelling would be advantageous
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and quantitative research skills

Application process

1. Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
2. Contact Doctor T M Rabiul Islam to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
3. In your application:
   • Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
   • Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
4. Apply prior to 1 October 2026.

Full details of the application process can be found under the ' How to apply ' section of the Research Degrees website.

Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.

Apply nowExplore other projects