First PhD position: Governance structures and strategies to foster the clean energy transition (DC9)This Doctoral Candidate will be based at
Kühne Logistics University (Germany), working with
Gordon Wilmsmeier and
Johannes Meuer as project leads and will focus on the topics of governance structures, low-carbon management and strategies, electrification, hydrogen operations, infrastructure life cycles, policy impact assessment. As you work on your project, you will apply quantitative and qualitative methods such as agent-based simulation modelling, comparative analysis, and mixed-method integration. The successful candidate will be seconded with the Copenhagen Business School (Denmark) as well as the Port of Cartagena (Colombia) and Conecta Logistica (Chile) during the project.
During this project, you will:
- Study port value creation processes across critical stakeholders, which include business (tenants) partners, local communities, and institutions (policymakers).
- Evaluate the interplay between energy transition and efficiency and productivity in terminals to define barriers, opportunities, and trade-offs when pursuing strategies for zero-emissions operations.
- Understand how using alternative energy sources in equipment changes container terminals' productivity and efficiency and identify opportunities in combination with digital transformation technologies.
- Use a multi-stakeholder perspective to characterise strategies and measures to accelerate the transition to zero-emission energy within ports (effectiveness and efficiency).
Like other sectors, the port sector is developing strategies to reduce emissions from its operations. In this strategy, some ports have been at the forefront of testing new technologies and implementing operational efficiency measures. However, most ports still rely on fossil fuel-based equipment and lack energy efficiency strategies.
Thus, the overall emissions reduction potential in different terminal types (container, general cargo, dry bulk, etc.) is far from being exploited. Often, best practice examples relate to simplistic measures, such as changing lighting to LED or electrifying equipment. While the latter might seem straightforward and can be considered a simple investment decision. Electrification or a change to hydrogen-operated equipment will have implications for the forms of operation. It will also depend on external factors, such as governance models and especially the availability of sufficient energy sources (e.g., peak demand response). Thus, there is a need to investigate the underlying mechanism related to the interplay between energy transition and efficiency and productivity in terminals, including barriers, opportunities, and trade-offs.
At the same time, little attention has been paid to the role, interactions and interdependencies of key infrastructure system actors, such as ports, in research on sustainability transitions. There is a need to analyse zero carbon transition challenges and solutions by mapping the whole actor network, defining policy effects and influences for each network and actor and modelling the trade-offs and possible gains from public and private collaboration.
Thus, governance models and institutional structures that can proactively manage and adjust the life cycles of port infrastructures, including new pathways towards fuel transition, are needed.
Finally, energy transition requires accelerating decision-making for new port and energy infrastructures. This requires a new level of interaction between
traditional port/transport and energy stakeholders.
During your studies, you will deliver:
- Policy Framework on design strategies and responses towards transition and fuel trading infrastructures
- Decision support system (DSS) tool to outline zero and low emission technology implementation and their impact on productivity and efficiency considering the relevance of digitalisation in mitigation
- Policy Framework on strategy about stakeholder coordination relevance to reach industry and societal transition goals
Second PhD position: Low and zero emission fuels port geographies (DC10)This Doctoral Candidate will be based at
Kühne Logistics University (Germany), working with
Gordon Wilmsmeier and
Hanno Friedrich as project leads, focusing on global shipping networks, port system transformation, and hydrogen value chains. You will apply methods such as scenario and location factor analysis and value chain optimisation as you work on your project. The successful candidate will be seconded with Kedge Business School (France), the World Bank (USA), and the Department of National Planning (Colombia) during the project.
During this project, you will:
- Analyse the location-specific factors that impact ports as hydrogen hubs and strategies for developing competitive advantages in non-traditional vs. traditional locations.
- Evaluate how changing power relations will impact European involvement in other countries and how that might impact future value chains.
Alternative fuels are expected to open up new business opportunities for ports. Hydrogen is one of the fuels driving the imaginations of new developments. In this case, ports might evolve as key elements in hydrogen value chains. Here, the potential for a port to become a player will depend on its access to hydrogen resources and, thus, its proximity (geographically or otherwise) to hydrogen production centres (i.e., green hydrogen). Therefore, a (new) combination of location factors will become relevant to define a port’s success. This includes:
- Terminal infrastructure (seaside, port operation, shoreside for goods and passengers, energy from offshore wind, public grid)
- Location relates to the global shipping networks and the maritime sectors' bunkering strategies.
- Global distribution and sourcing strategies in ports: demand for shipment in number; size, speed of suitable vessels; energy cost of freight/transhipment; cost of different production and shipping methods
- Development of hydrogen market with internal and external trades
- Developing countries could have a competitive advantage due to the abundance of wind and sun.
Current studies suppose that existing power relationships between countries will remain broadly similar. However, as traditional hegemonies are breaking up and the global economy is developing towards a multipolar stage, energy trades (i.e., hydrogen and derivates) will likely be impacted. As Europe will be a net importer of these products, such changes can significantly affect the origins and dependency of others. They will also impact the role of European countries in developing port energy infrastructures elsewhere.
Hydrogen (derivates) production will, to a certain extent, occur in changing geographies compared to today’s energy value chain. Thus, new port and energy infrastructure will be required in these locations.
Location in relation to global shipping networks and maritime sector bunkering strategies will change and be influenced by geopolitical and other external factors, which can significantly change distribution patterns and supply chain relationships.
During your studies, you will deliver:
- Decision support system (DSS) tool for choosing hydrogen (derivates) port and energy infrastructure locations.
- Decision support system (DSS) tool Scenario of simulation of changing hydrogen (derivatives) bunkering networks and analysis of the implications for traditional European bunkering ports
- Policy framework analysis on the impact of de(colonisation) tendencies on European supported energy hub development in hydrogen value chain partner countries.
