In 2020, CrossWind, a joint venture between Shell and Eneco, was awarded the tender to develop the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm. The wind farm is currently under construction and will come online late 2023 to provide 759MW of power to the Dutch grid ( https://www.crosswindhkn.nl). As part of the project, Crosswind will execute an ambitious innovation plan demonstrating several new technology initiatives to increase the value of offshore wind energy. Part of this plan involves a package of research carried out as part of a research project to look at System Integration. The aims of this research will be to:

1. Develop a Multidisciplinary Design Analysis and Optimisation (MDAO) framework to evaluate the options to maximise market value for integrated offshore renewable energy systems.
2. Develop and evaluate control strategies which optimise market value of renewable offshore energy based on the current market system.
3. Evaluate the economic value of floating solar in providing more ‘firm’ offshore generation.
4. Evaluate the market value of energy storage considering the complementary options of advanced control (for example, by under-producing at times of low value, or over-producing at times of high value) and varying capacities of floating solar to ‘fill’ troughs in wind power generation.
5. Evaluate the economic value of hydrogen and/or synthetic fuel production and fuel-cell re-genesis as an alternative to battery storage.

This multidisciplinary research project provides an exciting opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher to make a real difference in terms of increasing the value of offshore wind energy. The researcher will influence the demonstration campaign of a MW-scale dispatchable energy hub going live late 2025 and will provide insights on how technologies demonstrated at Hollandse Kust Noord can be scaled up for future wind farms.

You should have a PhD in an engineering subject and preferably a background in wind energy. Excellent analytical and computing skills (e.g. Matlab, Python) are required and a background in Multi-Disciplinary Analysis and Optimisation (MDAO) would also be an advantage.

Fixed-term contract: 2 years.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, a discount on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation. An International Children's Centre offers childcare and there is an international primary school.

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 Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 PhD candidates and close to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.