PhD Socio-Economic Assessment of Geothermal Energy

Join our international team to pursue a PhD project, where you’ll shape the future of geothermal and industrial waste heat solutions in Europe, leveraging on socio-economic energy system assessments.

About the Project:

The EMPOWER project is dedicated to develop innovative technologies that convert the use of low-temperature geothermal energy and industrial waste heat recovery into power. This project integrates technical, economic, and social analyses to evaluate the impact of these advanced EMPOWER technologies on the European energy landscape. The EMPOWER consortium consists of top academic institutes and industrial companies from from Belgium, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands and Romania. Regular research visits are envisioned.

Job Description

PhD Research Overview:

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to focus on the socio-techno-economic benefits and barriers of integrating EMPOWER’s geothermal and industrial waste heat recovery technologies into the European energy system. The PhD candidate will conduct energy system modelling, socio-techno-economic impact assessments, and will play a key role in shaping strategies for the large-scale deployment of these technologies across Europe.

Key Responsibilities:

Energy system modelling and techno-economic analysis:

• Use energy system modelling to perform high-resolution assessments of EMPOWER’s geothermal and industrial waste heat technologies across Europe.
• Analyze the techno-economic performance of the EMPOWER systems, focusing on factors such as affordability, reliability, and sustainability.
• Incorporate data from project partners (industry, process modelling, and techno-economic analysis) to evaluate the competitive potential of the technologies.
• Assess the contribution of the EMPOWER system to the flexibility, reliability, and affordability of the European energy grid.

Socio-Techno-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA):

• Complement the techno-economic assessment based on energy system modelling with socio-economic aspects for three key case studies in the cement, steel, and geothermal sectors.
• Identify key socio-economic indicators, including employment opportunities, skill requirements, safety, and social acceptability, and assess their implications on regional and national scales through quantitative analysis, and surveys and interviews.

Roadmap Development for Technology Deployment:

• In collaboration with project partners integrate the findings from socio-techno-economic assessments, energy system modelling, and other work packages into a comprehensive roadmap for EMPOWER technology deployment.

You will join a lively community of internationally renowned interdisciplinary researchers in the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management. We host a diverse group of people from different countries and disciplines, and we welcome candidates that contribute to and enjoy this diversity. We expect that as part of your PhD you will take the lead on interacting and collaborating with other researchers at TU Delft, with research groups at other universities, and with industry and other stakeholders in Europe.

Job Requirements

A Master’s degree in Energy or Environmental Science, or a related discipline.

• Strong interest in energy systems, energy technologies, and their socio-economic implications.
• Excellent research skills and proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Preferably, experience with energy systems, energy system modelling, and socio-economic impact assessments.
• Solid programming skills.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to collaborate effectively in an interdisciplinary team.
• Experience in collaborating with industrial partners or policy-makers is a plus.
• Proficiency in English

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Technology, Policy & Management

The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.

Conditions of employment

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2872 per month in the first year to € 3670 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.