Postdoctoral Research Associate

The Role

We invite applications for a Post-Doctoral Research Associate (PDRA) to join the Department of Earth Sciences, working with Prof Jeroen van Hunen on a project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), "Geothermal Energy from Mines and Solar-Geothermal heat (GEMS)". The position is fixed term for 15 months, with a start date for this position at 1st June 2023. This post is part of a larger project involving further PDRAs in the Department of Earth Sciences, School of Engineering the department of Anthropology and the Business School at Durham University and involves close collaborations with 12 scientists from Durham University (Earth Sciences, Engineering, Anthropology and the Business School) and the British Geological Survey (BGS), as well as national and international project partners. More information on the project is available here: https://gems.ac.uk

Warm water in the ~23,000 disused, flooded mines in the UK offers a huge, low-carbon geothermal energy resource that could heat, cool, and provide heat storage for a quarter of UK homes and businesses, notably economically disadvantaged regions, such as former mining and many urban communities. To utilise and optimise this enormous energy supply and storage opportunity, research is required on a number of aspects, including optimised abstraction strategies of those heat resources, introduction of innovative heat storage solutions to level out diurnal and seasonal energy demand fluctuations, mapping the financial landscape for mine geothermal energy, and integration of the technical aspects with governance frameworks, social acceptance and economic viability. The aim of the GEMS project is to provide integrated solutions, from initial heat extraction to the end user, for employing mine water geothermal heat energy as sustainable, low-carbon heat source by using simulation tools, innovative heat storage solutions, evaluation of the governance and economic landscape, and community participation.

The successful applicant will be expected to assess the potential of geothermal mine water as a sustainable energy resource. This will be done by using and further developing innovative, state-of-the-art numerical simulations, calibrated with mine records, mine monitoring data, field experiments, and citizen knowledge. The PDRA will work with the Earth Science team at Durham and the British Geological Survey to develop a state-of-the-art numerical thermo-hydraulic groundwater-mine water model. For model calibration, the PDRA will benefit from data from and collaboration with available industrial and public-sector project partners. The modelling tool will be applied to prospective target mines in NE England and elsewhere. The PDRA will join the vibrant Durham Energy Institute and will further benefit from the Department's mentoring programme for Early Career Researchers. PDRAs are also encouraged to co-supervise MSc and undergraduate research projects.

The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the general activities of the research group and participate actively in the intellectual life of the department and university. There may be opportunities to teach/demonstrate in labs and field classes depending on the interests of the successful candidate.