Junior Researcher: Techno-Economic Study of Underground Seasonal Thermal Storage

The EU aims to have a net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) economy by 2050, with a 55% reduction from 1990 levels by 2030. Presently, heating and cooling represent around 50% of the final energy demand in Europe and are mainly supplied by fossil fuel-derived energy.

Your job
A challenge for decarbonizing heat systems is the size of the seasonal mismatch between demand for heat and heat generation from sustainable sources. Optimizing sustainable heat requires storing large amounts of heat to account for seasonal supply and demand fluctuations. Various technologies have been proposed for large-scale heat storage in geothermal reservoirs, and low-temperature storage is routinely applied.

The EU project PUSH-IT focuses on extending storage temperature ranges to high temperatures. It is to showcase the full-scale heat storage applications (up to 90°C) of 3 different technologies (mine, borehole, and aquifer thermal energy storage) in geothermal reservoirs. It develops, deploys, and tests heat storage for various configurations of heat sources, geological conditions, distribution systems, and market and legal conditions across Europe.

Within this project, the research team at Utrecht University (UU) has worked closely with the team at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). Primary open-source tools have been developed to simulate the techno-economic performance of storage (subsurface, TU Delft) and local heating systems (surface, UU). The tools capture the dynamics of heat supply and demand, operational storage performance, techno-economic parameters, and uncertainties. The developed open-source tool will then be tested and validated with the project cases. The Junior Researcher position will focus on (further) tool development and the optimization of the levelized cost of heat and carbon-emission reduction costs.

The position is embedded in the Energy & Resources section at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University (under the supervision of Dr. Liu and Prof Kramer). You will also work closely with the scholars at TU-Delft and other project partners.

To be successful in the application, the Junior Researcher candidate should:

• hold a master's degree in Energy Science, Environmental Science, and Engineering, or a relevant natural science subject area
  with excellent results;
• be highly motivated, committed, creative, and with excellent communication skills;
• have experience and knowledge in modeling and optimization, preferably with Python;
• have experience and knowledge of techno-economic assessment of energy projects;
• be able to work in an interdisciplinary team and be interested in collaborating with industrial partners;
• have excellent English proficiency.

We offer:

• a job for 10 months to 1 year (0.8 - 1.0 FTE);
• a gross monthly salary between € 3.382 and €4.484 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale 8 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

The Copernicus Institute is part of the Faculty of Geosciences. At the Copernicus Institute, our goal is to have a positive impact on the transition towards a sustainable future. The Copernicus Institute has had an excellent research evaluation in 2021 and the institute takes pride in maintaining its leading position in national and international sustainability research, and by developing new, internationally oriented teaching programmes.

For more information about this position, please contact: Dr Wen Liu (Assistant Professor), via w.liu@uu.nl

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.