Would you like to become part of the solution toward green energy transition, by helping develop the methods for modeling renewable power plants and future energy systems?
The Renewable Plants in Energy Systems (RES) section at DTU Wind and Energy Systems is inviting candidates to apply for a PhD in “ Power System Support from Hybrid Power Plants via Technology-Agnostic Control Architecture”. The research in this section is multidisciplinary, and you will enjoy the advantages of a creative and inspiring work environment. You will get the opportunity to participate and influence the development of advanced renewable power plants in collaboration with top universities and industry in the field of wind energy research in Europe and beyond.
We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility. We develop talent by offering national/European and global networking opportunities, unique research infrastructure including a fully controllable MW-scale hybrid power plant at our campus, and a collaborative research environment.
Job profile
This PhD scholarship is fully funded through a recently awarded European Doctoral Network (DN) project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme. DN programme provides training through doctoral research to talented early stage researchers. The researchers in this project, called WindConnect, will enroll in PhD programmes and be employed for 36 months within a network of universities and industry partners addressing the design, modelling, control, and techno-economic optimization of wind turbines, wind farms, and hybrid power plants (HPPs). Through this program, 15 Researchers will receive cutting-edge technical, entrepreneurial and soft-skill training, benefiting from industrial secondments, co-supervision, and access to a robust network of industrial partners and advanced experimental facilities. These efforts empower the next generation of highly skilled researchers and engineers to drive technological innovation, enhance energy security, reinforce Europe’s leadership in green energy technologies, support the transition to a sustainable, decarbonized energy future, and help meet climate targets.
Candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria for researcher recruitment:
They must not already hold a doctoral degree at the time of recruitment and should have less than four years of full-time research experience following the degree that qualifies them for PhD studies. Additionally, candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work or studies) in Denmark for more than 12 months within the 36 months immediately preceding the recruitment date.
Project background
The transition to future renewable energy sources-based power systems is crucial for achieving sustainable and environmentally friendly power generation. Hybrid Power Plants (HPPs) combining multiple generation sources, such as wind power plants, photovoltaic systems, and battery energy storage systems behind a single grid connection point are becoming popular due to their capability to provide additional value for both plant owners and power systems compared to individual renewable technology plants.
Modern renewable energy systems are becoming increasingly complex. Integrating and coordinating various renewable energy assets to provide system services introduces additional layers of complexity and poses significant control challenges — particularly when combining multiple technologies, as is the case in HPPs. Traditional control architectures struggle to coordinate fast, local responses with slower, system-wide actions, often leading to inefficiencies. Communication delays and interoperability issues between different vendors add further challenges.
To address this, the objective of the PhD project is to develop a simplified and scalable control solution for next-generation HPPs, using a two-layer control architecture to streamline operations, reduce communication delays, lower costs, and enhance the reliability, efficiency, adaptability, and overall performance of renewable energy systems
As part of the WindConnect research consortium you will interact with researchers and experts across the network. This requires strong collaboration and communication skills, enabling you to contribute to the ambitious goals of the project. You will also have the opportunity to cooperate with leading European research institutes and are expected to undertake external research stays of approximately 6–9 months at other partners within the consortium.
Responsibilities and qualifications
During your PhD studies, you will model and develop a technology-agnostic control architecture for utility-scale HPPs, enabling direct communication with individual assets.
You are expected to model the state-of-the-art control architecture for utility-scale HPPs, identify its challenges in terms of dynamic performance and grid service provision, develop a new simplified HPP controller, address interoperability issues across control and operational layers, and quantify the performance of the developed controller. Your work will involve both theoretical analysis and simulation-based validation of the proposed control method.
As part of your PhD studies, you will publish your work in reputed journals and present it at peer-reviewed scientific conferences. A detailed project plan will be developed with the supervisors within the first two months after enrolment.
You will also play important supporting role in the deliverables of IEA Wind Task 50 on Hybrid Power Plants.
You will also need to assist in the co-supervision of MSc theses and provide teaching assistance in courses taught at DTU for a limited number of hours.
The successful candidate fulfills the following requirements:
The successful candidate must also fulfill the requirements for admission to a PhD program at DTU.
You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.
Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education
Assessment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU PhD Guide Please note that the length of the PhD program is by law limited to 3 years.
We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.
Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years. The salary is commensurate with Danish living cost. Denmark offers free health care, good personal safety, a well-functioning and highly digitized state, and good benefits for parents including a well-developed child-care network. The greater Copenhagen area offers all benefits of a capital city combined with a relaxed attitude. A good resource to learn more about the conditions is WorkInDenmark.dk.
Your new place of employment will be along the shores of the Roskilde fjord, at the DTU Risø Campus.
You can read more about career paths at DTU here
Further information
Further information may be obtained from Associate Professor Anca D. Hansen ( anca@dtu.dk), Associate Professor Kaushik Das ( kdas@dtu.dk) and Head of Section Gregor Giebel ( grgi@dtu.dk).
You can read more about DTU Wind and Energy Systems at https://wind.dtu.dk
If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “ PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.
Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 3 August 2026 (23:59 Danish time).
Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file The file must include:
You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.
Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.
The Department of Wind and Energy Systems is one of the world’s largest centers for wind energy and energy systems research and knowledge, with a staff of more than 400 people from 37 countries working in research, innovation, research-based consulting, and education. DTU Wind and Energy Systems has approximately 90 PhD students. The department's cross-disciplinary research is organized through strategic research programmes that collaborate with Danish and international universities, research institutions, and organizations, as well as the wind industry.
DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829
DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.
