JOB DESCRIPTION

As a PhD researcher in the DEFLAME project, you’ll play a key role in revolutionizing the European process industry by driving the electrification of industrial heat, ultimately making it more resilient and climate-neutral. This ambitious project aims to overcome challenges at multiple levels—from technology and industrial plants to national and European energy systems, as well as economic, policy, and institutional frameworks.

In this PhD position, you will explore key aspects of industrial electrification, including:

• Identifying how electricity systems at national and European levels need to co-develop with industrial electrification.
• Assessing the reliability and affordability of industrial heat electrification for industrial stakeholders at national.
• Evaluating the value and costs of industrial flexibility across different system and temporal scales (e.g., decreased lifetimes, process impacts, production losses).
• Investigating financial risk mitigation strategies for industrial actors transitioning to electrified heat.

Your research will provide critical insights for policymakers, energy system operators, and industrial stakeholders with critical insights on how industrial electrification can enhance sustainability in industry, support renewable energy integration into the power system, and
increase competitiveness of European and Dutch industries.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop plausible industry and energy demand scenarios for the European Union.
• Establish a resource adequacy assessment framework to evaluate system adequacy and the role of flexibility under normal and adverse conditions.
• Design advanced generation system adequacy indicators that go beyond energy availability to assess price impact and financial risks for industrial stakeholders.
• Identify optimal generation capacity portfolios with flexible assets to ensure an adequate energy supply, in the Netherlands and Europe, using high-resolution energy system models.
• Analyze how different flexibility time scales influence energy adequacy and financial risks for industrial consumers.
• Develop balanced strategies for hedging price risks through financial instruments versus investments in local flexibility or on-site generation.

This PhD position is part of the DEFLAME project, which aims to overcome challenges in the electrification of industrial heat at multiple levels—from technology and industrial plants to national and European energy systems, as well as economic, policy, and institutional frameworks. We focus on low-temperature heat electrification (up to 400°C) using proven, efficient technologies. Through an interdisciplinary approach, we will identify strategies and institutional arrangements that enable industrial electrification to be both viable and impactful. You’ll collaborate closely with leading industry players, energy system operators, and research institutions, playing a key role in designing and assessing solutions that drive the electrification of the industry. Our partners include: AtlasCopco, Cosun, Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), ISPT, Nobian, Oranje Wind Power II C.V./RWE, Smart Port, Stedin, Tennet, and TNO.
Your Working Environment
You will join a lively community of internationally renowned interdisciplinary energy researchers in the Department of Engineering Systems and Services. Our faculty hosts 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.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

You need to have:

• Master’s degree in Energy Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Energy economics, or a related field.
• Solid programming skills for data analysis and system modelling.
• Strong analytical and systems-thinking abilities for handling large datasets and complex models.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) in English with the ability to collaborate effectively in an interdisciplinary environment.
• Passion for the energy transition and its multidisciplinary challenges (technology, economics, and policy).

Nice to have:

• Strong foundation in energy systems and energy system modeling.
• Experience working with industry stakeholders or policymakers.
• Dutch is an asset but not required
• Creative, open-minded and proactive researcher.

• Develop plausible industry and energy demand scenarios for the European Union.
• Establish a resource adequacy assessment framework to evaluate system adequacy and the role of flexibility under normal and adverse conditions.
• Design advanced generation system adequacy indicators that go beyond energy availability to assess price impact and financial risks for industrial stakeholders.
• Identify optimal generation capacity portfolios with flexible assets to ensure an adequate energy supply, in the Netherlands and Europe, using high-resolution energy system models.
• Analyze how different flexibility time scales influence energy adequacy and financial risks for industrial consumers.
• Develop balanced strategies for hedging price risks through financial instruments versus investments in local flexibility or on-site generation