Scaling Up Sustainability: Why Energy Transition Technologies Fail to Scale in Developing Countries
The global energy transition has accelerated development of technically promising low-carbon and energy transition technologies, including renewable energy systems, hydrogen production, and carbon capture and storage. While these technologies demonstrate technical feasibility and performance advantages at laboratory or pilot scale, large-scale adoption in developing countries remains limited.
Research Opportunities
Summary
This PhD project seeks to investigate why “technically promising” energy transition technologies struggle to scale in developing country contexts, with particular focus on how life cycle performance and risk considerations influence scale-up. The research will provide an original contribution by integrating technical, environmental, and socio-economic perspectives to understand scale-up challenges that are highly context-specific.
The project will adopt a mixed-methods approach, drawing on literature analysis, environmental assessment, and exploration of risk factors to understand challenges in scaling emerging energy transition technologies in developing countries. The research will also include engagement with relevant stakeholders to gain insights into decision-making processes, with the aim of integrating findings into a coherent conceptual understanding of the factors influencing technology scale-up.
Applicants should have a background in one of the following:
- Energy Management
- Energy Systems
- Environmental Engineering
- Engineering
- Sustainability Management
- Systems Engineering
- Engineering Management
Desirable Skills
- Interest in energy transition in developing countries
- Analytical and problem-solving capabilities
- Knowledge of Life Cycle Assessment and risk analysis
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