A short-term heatwave and its impact on the European electricity markets and the security of electricity supply

Research topic/area

Energy economics, energy system analysis, disruptive events, heatwave, drought

Type of thesis

Bachelor / Master

Start time

Application deadline

01.03.2025

Duration of the thesis

6 Months

Description

Problem / state of knowledge: Heatwaves like those in 2003, 2018 and 2019 have high-
lighted the significant challenges that extreme weather events pose for electricity supply
systems. These events disrupt power generation, especially in thermal power plants that
rely on sufficient cooling water. The resulting interruptions can compromise supply reliabil-
ity, lead to demand shortages, and drive electricity prices higher. Despite the diversification
of Europe’s generation mix, extreme weather events increasingly test the resilience and
adaptability of the interconnected grid. These challenges, along with downstream effects
on electricity markets and retail prices, underline the need to analyse the impact of such
scenarios in more detail.
Research questions:
1. How do heatwaves impact the availability and reliability of thermal and hydropower
plants in Europe?
2. What are the implications of heat-induced constraints on electricity prices and supply
security?

Requirement

Requirements for students

• Basic knowledge in the field of energy systems or energy markets
• Depending on the focus, knowledge of quantitative methods, e.g. data analysis (Python, R), stochastic methods, modeling methods
• Good knowledge of German and/or English

Faculty departments

• Economic & law sciences
  Information Engineering
  Business engineering
  Business management
  Other fields of study
  Business Mathematics

Supervision

Title, first name, last name

Johannes Schuhmacher

Organizational unit

Institut für Industriebetriebslehre und Industrielle Produktion (IIP)

Email address

johannes.schuhmacher@kit.edu

Link to personal homepage/personal page

Website

Application via email

Application documents

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcript

E-Mail Address for application
Senden Sie die oben genannten Bewerbungsunterlagen bitte per Mail an johannes.schuhmacher@kit.edu


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