PRR Project

Summary

In the context of the transition towards a carbon-neutral and renewable energy system, reducing reliance on fossil-fuel energy sources and expanding the portfolio of renewable energy becomes paramount. Within this framework, marine energy emerges as one of the renewable sources with the greatest potential to scale up and play a pivotal role in advancing the energy transition. However, marine energy has not yet reached the commercialization stage, and further research is still required to become a fully-fledged energy source. This factor constitutes the main rationale for the requested research position in the scientific subarea of renewable energy (englobed in the Mechanical Engineering scientific area). Furthermore, the position aligns seamlessly with the energy and climate policies outlined in the EU´s Green Deal and contributes directly to the achievement of the UN’s SDGs 7, 13 and 14 and the ambitious Portugal’s plan for the deployment of marine renewable energy.The primary scientific objective of this position is to actively contribute to bridging existing knowledge gaps that currently hinder the widespread commercial exploitation of marine energy. These include, but are not limited to, the development of cost-effective and reliable technologies, understanding potential environmental impacts, and establishing a robust regulatory framework. Therefore, the main tasks associated with this position include enhancing methodologies for resource characterization and forecasting, gaining insight to develop efficient, reliable and cost-effective technologies, evaluating potential synergies among different marine energy sources (such as the co-located and hybrid plants), optimizing layouts for cost-effective marine energy farms, assessing potential synergies of marine energy farms with other uses and applications (integration with port and coastal infrastructures, desalination and aquaculture plants and coastal protection), and investigating the potential interactions of conversion technologies with the marine environment. The position will be focused primarily on wave energy, but also encompassing tidal, and offshore floating solar PV sources, as well as investigating their potential synergies with offshore wind farms.From the technical standpoint, the scientific profile required to achieve the scientific goals of the position must encompass advanced skills in numerical/physical modeling of coastal and ocean environments for resource assessment, hydrodynamic behavior and performance of conversion technologies, impact assessment on the marine environment and potential synergies with other maritime applications. Advanced knowledge in met-ocean data analytics and scientific programming are also required. Additionally, the profile demands high degree of scientific independence, with proven experience leading top-tier scientific publications, proposals for funding acquisition in competitive calls at national and international levels, extensive track-record of participation and/or management of R&D projects. Similarly, the scientific profile of the position must value previous experience in consultancy projects with public or private institutions in order to facilitate the knowledge transfer of research findings. The scientific profile of the research should also provide mentorship and supervision of early-stage researchers, serving as a catalyst for academic growth, ensuring that students are exposed to cutting-edge insights, methodologies, and practical applications related to the marine energy field. As a result, the scientific profile aligns perfectly with the strategic objectives of CIIMAR and UPORTO, contributing to enhancing its positions at the forefront of marine-related research, by fostering sustainable exploitation of ocean resources and promoting climate change resilience. Furthermore, the scientific profile will benefit from CIIMAR’s expertise in aspects related to aquaculture and water resources to establish potential research synergies with the field of marine renewable energy.In conclusion, the proposed research position aims to advance the state-of-the-art in the field of marine renewable energy by developing advanced modelling tools that ensure an accurate estimation of marine energy resources and the interaction between the conversion technologies and the marine environment to fast-forward cost-effective and reliable technologies, while ensuring minimal environmental impact. Furthermore, the potential synergies with other maritime uses (e.g. aquaculture, desalination and integration with port infrastructure) will be explored to streamline the commercial viability of marine energy sources.