Organisation/Company Universitat Politecnica de Cataunya Department Chemical Engineering Research Field Engineering » Chemical engineering Engineering » Materials engineering Engineering » Industrial engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 26 Sep 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37 Offer Starting Date 30 Oct 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe Reference Number GA- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

We are looking for a motivated PhD student to develop HARMONI will develop a systemic solution to enable the integration of HTPIs into the green energy grid as intelligent energy hubs, with a primary focus on Cement Plants. This dynamic solution is designed to cope with the fluctuations of the energy inputs by efficiently converting intermittent RES into the stable, high-temperature heat required for cement production. The PhD will be developed within the framework of the PILAR II: GENERAL CHALLENGES &EUROPEAN; INDUSTRIAL COMPETITIVENESS, CLUSTER 4: DIGITAL, INDUSTRY AND SPACE ((HORIZON- -HARMONI).HARMONI builds upon an existing symbiosis between cement manufaturer, CEMEX, and wastewater treatment provider ADA. Currently, sludge generated by ADA is dried at CEMEX using waste heat, and the dried sludge is subsequently used as fuel in CEMEX’s clinker process, leaving behind an ammonium rich effluent. HARMONI will demonstrate a process to recover NH3 from this effluent as an energy dense renewable carrier. To overcome traditional NH3 combustion challenges, HARMONI will develop technologies for the dynamic on-site cracking of NH3 to produce a tailored ammonia-hydrogen (NH3-H2) fuel blend with superior combustion properties. Novel cracking and combustions solutions will be integrated via a data-driven, AI-enabled site optimiser system. This first of a kind solution will simultaneously decarbonise industrial heat, and couple significant thermal energy demands to the electricity grid, leading to valuable grid balancing services.

The PhD research work will be performed at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)



(Barcelona, Spain) within the Department of Chemical Engineering, under the supervision of professors J.L. Cortina, E. Guillen and H. Bazargan. More specifically, the candidate will join the “Resource Recovery and Environmental Management - (R2EM)” research group, which has a vast experience in separation processes and technologies applied to resource recovery schemes.

The PhD thesis will focus on the development and integration of a processing route for NH3 recovery process chain with PFAS-free membrane, defining the requisite pre-treatment of industrial effluent and post-treatment for high-purity product, with the core VMD unit informing a scalable engineering design.

The PhD project will address:

- Preliminary modelling and theoretical evaluation of the proposed processing stages membrane in terms of: ammonia recovery, management of process wastes, water recovery, energy consumption, opex and capex estimations.
- Experimental evaluation (lab scale) of the different technologies (steps in the processing scheme) to achieve the NH3 with the quality to be used in cracking systems.
- Generation of high-quality experimental data for scientific publications, model validation and eventually collaboration with the partners developing digital twins within the project.
- Collaboration in the design and operation of the pilot to be tested on-site, generation of data and technoeconomic analysis of the results.
- Dissemination of the PhD’s results in conferences and high rank international scientific journals.

Where to apply

E-mail

Requirements

Research Field Engineering » Chemical engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Engineering » Materials engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Engineering » Industrial engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent





Skills/Qualifications

- An outstanding MSc degree in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering or Mechanical Engineering
- Data mining, analysis, visualization and programming skills are highly valued
- Research experience on ion exchange, sorption, membrane processes and/or thermodynamic processes are highly valued
- Interest for technological developments, modelling efforts and building laboratory prototypes
- An integrative and cooperative personality with excellent communication and social skills
- Fluency in English – written and oral

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Languages SPANISH Level Good

Research Field Engineering » Chemical engineeringEngineering » Materials engineeringChemistry » Applied chemistry Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

Additional Information

the candidate will benefit from a salary comparatively higher than those offered to PhDcandidates in Spain. However, salary will be negotiated on individual qualifications and experience basis.

We offer

Contract: Employment contract from Barcelona TECH UPC for a full-time position of PhD researcher for 36 months, with a monthly salary to be negotiated based on experience).

Preferred starting date: 30 of October 2026.

Eligibility criteria

MSc degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, or a related discipline.

The degree must qualify the applicant for admission to a doctoral programme at the host university.

Strong academic record.

Demonstrated interest in the research topic.

Good written and spoken English (minimum B2 or equivalent).

Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary and international team.

Selection process

Selection criteria; Applications will be evaluated based on:

Academic excellence

Relevance of previous research experience

Motivation and fit with the project

Additional comments

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Multiescale Science and Engineering Center (CCEM) Country Spain State/Province Catalunya City Barcelona Postal Code E-08019 Street Av. Eduard de Maristany Geofield

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📌 Hydrogen-Ammonia and Renewable Energy MOdelling & Integration: a Nexus for the Cement Industry (Harmoni) (España)
🏢 Universitat Politecnica de Cataunya
📍 España