Postdoc Energy and Water System Dispatch under Uncertainty

EPIC develops operationally verifiable water-energy-food models for long-term energy infrastructure planning, considering climate impacts and multi-sectoral transition management with stakeholder.

Job description 

You will work with a world-leading team of researchers, to develop energy systems planning and operational assessment approaches to tackle the fundamental challenges facing countries in Africa. Postdoc/Research assistant position for 20 months (financed  by the Horizon Europe call topic AU-EU water energy food exus) is available within the recently awarded research project EPIC Africa (www.epicafrica.eu). The project task for this postdoc aims to generate and apply spatially explicit and temporally detailed energy and water models for verification and operational optimisation of WEF (infrastructure) systems. With national and transboundary energy planning cases in Africa (Volta and Tana basins), we will assess multiple reference years for given infrastructure investment plans from the long-term planning investment planning models (Osemosys). In particular, the objectives of this position are to: (i) Test the resilience of planned WEF development pathways under different climate and market uncertainties and so inform constraints for multi-sectoral infrastructure investment planning (ii) Test different operational and intervention strategies, in consultation with stakeholders in the energy and water sectors, to alleviate water and energy deficits and so minimise lost economic and social benefits; (iii) Derive appropriate operational rules and water allocations to synergize WEF resource use and increase resilience to climate and market uncertainties; (iv) Assess trade-offs in water and land use between energy and agricultural sectors under different levels of self-sufficiency targets and operational settings; and (v) Develop and test levels of transboundary cooperation in operational management of water infrastructure in WEF context that can utilise seasonal forecasts and near real time observations.

You will be supervised by Dr. Edo Abraham, Prof. Nick van de Giesen and colleagues. Various EPIC Africa supervisors and collaborators will provide additional specific expertise and feedback to your research including at the Energy Systems Unit of KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Denmark), the University of Energy and Natural resources in Ghana, TAHMO Kenya, as well as the transition management group at VITO Belgium. There are multiple PhD projects and 1 postdoc project at 2 EU and 3 African universities. Furthermore many MSc students from different background will perform research within the project.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design spatially explicit Energy Planning Optimization Models with high temporal resolution for future power system planning.
• Develop spatially explicit high time resolution Energy Dispatch models with specific focus on hydropower and storage technologies.
• Tailor the developed models to national and regional African power systems to simulate and optimize their operation and planning based on long-term data.
• Testing the developed models for resilience to climate uncertainties through daily or hourly simulations against future load demand and resource availability.
• Operate Planning and Dispatch models to derive policy-relevant insights for the planning of future energy systems in selected African countries.
• Take into account in the modelling different future scenarios, accounting for various power mixes, including high penetration of variable renewable energy sources and relevant technologies at the Water-Energy Nexus such as floating PV, and PHES.
• Work closely with team members and stakeholders to analyze model outcomes and extract policy-relevant insights.
• Publish research in academic journals and present findings at international conferences.

Requirements

• PhD or MSc with energy systems research experience
• Expertise in power systems modeling, with some knowledge of water systems and the integrated energy-water nexus .
• Proficiency in open-source power system tools (e.g. PyPSA, Dispa-SET, or Calliope) and other dispatch-related software.
• Strong data analysis and programming skills (e.g. Python or Julia) and experience working with large datasets.
• Understanding Electricity Market Dynamics and Knowledge of the African Energy transition Challenges is a plus.
• Excellent communication skills and some experience collaborating within interdisciplinary teams.

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 Civil Engineering and Geosciences 

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences.

Conditions of employment 

• Duration of contract is 20 months.
• A job of 32-40 hours per week. 

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. 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. 

Additional information

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Edo Abraham at e.abraham@tudelft.nl. For information about the application procedure, please contact Dian Verbunt, HR-advisor, email: D.W.A.M.Verbunt@tudelft.nl.     

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 13 January 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV
• Motivational letter
• Please also submit a report/publication (written by yourself), and/or (a link to) your PhD/MSc thesis.

You can address your application to Edo Abraham. Interviews will be scheduled in the second half of January 2025.

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.