Postdoc position in Circular Economy - Recycling of Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades

The Centre for Sustainable Supply Chain Engineering at the Department of Technology and Innovation invites applications to a postdoc position in the circular economy of value chains for decommissioned wind turbine blades in relation to the research project DecomBlade. Innovation Fond Denmark funds the research program.

Centre for Sustainable Supply Chain Engineering (CSSCE)
SDU Centre for Sustainable Supply Chain Engineering (CSSCE) focuses on doing cutting-edge research within the field of supply chain management under the theme of sustainable/green supply chain, digital supply chain, blockchain applications in supply chain, supply chain information technologies, circular economy, climate change, life cycle assessment focusing on sustainable supply chain, corporate sustainability, sustainable development goals, and digital circular supply chain.

Furthermore, CSSCE, in collaboration with TEK innovation, offers substantial support in applications for further external funding from prestigious national and European funding schemes, e.g., Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and the ERC starting grants.

About the project
The postdoc will be part of the large research and innovation project – DecomBlade – sponsored by the Innovation Fund Denmark, where a consortium of 10 industrial and university partners (Ørsted A/S, Vestas Wind Systems A/S, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S, LM Wind Power A/S, HJ Hansen, Makeen Power A/S, FLSmidth A/S, Fonden Energy Innovation Cluster, Technical University of Denmark and the University of Southern Denmark) aim to develop, test and assess three different solutions for decommissioning of composite wind turbine blades.

An increasing number of wind turbines in Denmark and abroad have been erected over the last decades and are gradually reaching the end of life (EoL) and will, therefore, soon need to be decommissioned. Most wind turbine components are made from steel and other materials, being easy to recycle. However, wind turbine blades are made of fiberglass and carbon fiber-reinforced thermoset composites, which are difficult to recycle and mostly end up in landfill or are incinerated. For instance, in Europe, 70,000 tons of EoL blades will be decommissioned by 2025, and this is expected to rise to 230,000 tons by 2040. Furthermore, 70% of the cost of recycling is by the industry today found to be connected to supply chain issues. Therefore, sustainable solutions for the wind industry are important in Denmark, Europe, and worldwide. The focus of DecomBlade is on three promising large-scale solutions for decommissioning of composite materials i.e., cement kiln, pyrolysis, and mechanical grinding.

Within this particular postdoc project, you will develop a multi-criteria decision tool(s) that can support blade manufacturers and wind turbine owners in selecting the most sustainable recycling solution for their blades / decommissioning project. The tool will include both the economic and environmental aspects of the key performance indicators.

The starting time is 15 Jan 2023 (or according to mutual agreement), and the location is at the main campus in Odense.

Job description:

• You will conduct qualitative and quantitative research in the whole supply chain of decommissioning of wind turbine blades among the participating companies and organizations.
• You will support the industrial partners in integrating the developed models/frameworks into strategic / tactical / operational decisions.
• You will publish and present your work both at international conferences and in scientific journals with high impact.
• You will assist in teaching and project supervision activities at University of Southern Denmark.

Profile and requirements:

• Hold Master’s degree and PhD degree in Industrial Engineering / Manufacturing Engineering with relevance to Sustainable Supply chain/Circular Economy, Environmental Management, Life Cycle Engineering.

• Having a dedicated interest in exploring the domain of circular economy within wind power.
• Self-going and good communication skills to be able to gather empirical data from the participation companies.
• Good written and oral communication skills.
• Comfortable working both independently and within a team.
• Willingness to support industrial partners and overall research project progress.
• Interested in longer term commitment to a growing research group.
• Interested in contributing to teaching / supervision.

• Advanced experience in contributing to scientific journal writing and publications at international journal level.
• Relevant work experience

• Excellent at English communication (ie, both oral and written).
• Other relevant professional activities

The Post Doc researcher will work closely with Kannan Govindan (ITI). For further information about the project and position, please contact Professor Kannan Govindan ([email protected]).

Application procedure
The Faculty expects applicants to read How to apply before applying.

Applications will be assessed by an expert assessor/committee. Applicants will be informed of their assessment by the university. Applicants may be called for an interview as part of the overall assessment.

The application deadline is 15 Dec 2022.

The application must be in English and must include:

• Detailed Curriculum Vitae- if possible, including publications and teaching experience.
• A certified copy of your master's and PhD degree certificate including all examination results, and a copy of your Bachelor diploma
• A motivational letter describing why the applicant is a good match for analyzing the topic and how the applicant’s skills provide a solid foundation to do so (max. 5 pages incl. project description, reference list).
• An abstract for the above project description of no more than 250 words
• A complete list of publications, indicating which publications are most relevant for the position
• Up to 5 of the most relevant publications. Please attach one pdf-file for each publication.
• For any publication with a co-author, a co-author statement must be submitted as part of the pdf-file
• Reference letters
• Any relevant information indicating experience in research management, industry co-operation and international cooperation
• Other relevant qualifications may also be included.

Application and all appendices must be in English. Only applications written in English will be accepted for evaluation.

To English-speaking applicants, please make sure to enter the electronic application form via the English website to receive further information in English.

We only accept files in pdf format no more than 10 MB per file. If you have more than one file per field you need to combine the pdf files into a single file, as each field handles only one file. We do not accept zip files, jpg, or other image files. All pdf files must be unlocked and allow binding and may not be password protected. An assessment committee will assess applications, and the committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the applicant's responsibility to provide the necessary material.

Shortlisting and tests may be used in the assessment process.

We recommend that as an international applicant, you take the time to visit Working in Denmark, where you will find information and facts about moving to, working, and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU.

Conditions of Employment
Employment as a postdoc researcher requires scientific qualifications at Ph.D. level.

The Post-Doctoral position is for one year with the possibility of extension on other relevant projects based on the performance.

The research will be predominant in the position. Teaching assignments can be agreed upon individually. Furthermore, other types of assignments may occur to a limited degree. CSSCE determines the distribution of the various assignments. The weighting of the different assignments may vary over time.

The successful applicant will be employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Please check links for more information on salary and taxation.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark.

Further information about The Faculty of Engineering.