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At TenneT, you will have the opportunity to carry out your graduation research in an environment where you can make a real impact. As a student intern in System Operations & Market Development team, you will work on relevant and current challenges related to AC Optimal Power Flow (OPF) calculations.

OPF calculations play an important role in facilitating efficient transport of electric power. In the simplest definition, OPF involves determining operating setpoints for controllable assets in the grid such as generators, shunts and transformers that lead to minimal operational costs while satisfying demand and operational constraints. As the electricity grid is predominantly based on Alternating Current (AC), the underlying physics of the grid is non-linear making the AC-OPF problem non-linear and possibly non-convex. Hence, solving the AC-OPF problem is non-trivial, computationally expensive and prone to divergence. Furthermore, when security constraints are imposed over time, solving the AC-OPF problem can become prohibitively slow. This stimulates the use of approximate methods that compromise on accuracy for speed.

The project involves developing a fast and robust calculation framework for solving security constrained AC-OPF problems for the Dutch transmission grid along two tracks – mathematical optimization and machine learning.
 

Your profile and background

Your profile
  • Currently enrolled in a master’s program in one of the following or a related field: computing sciences, mathematics, machine learning, physics, engineering.
  • Good programming skills in Python.
  • Knowledge on power flow analysis or network calculations is helpful, but not a must.
  • Interest in the energy transition is a big plus.
  • Curious, eager to learn, and proactively seek contact when needed.
  • Enjoy working collaboratively and are open to feedback.

Your contribution to TenneT

This graduation project is along the mathematical optimization track where you will:

  • Do a literature review on classical solutions OPF problems.
  • Develop classical optimization techniques to speed up security constrained AC-OPF calculations.
  • Build on the work of a previous master student who designed a robust & flexible framework for AC-OPF calculations for the Dutch grid.
  • Add security constraints to the framework and speed up calculations.
  • Design a calculation framework that is fast and robust enough to be used close to real-time grid operation.
  • Investigate convergence problems.

You will be supported by the ODINA team, where you will have plenty of room to work independently and collaborate with colleagues.


Our recruiting process

Our offer

Flexibility
Flexibility for better work-life balance
 
We understand that you need flexiblity in order to find the balance between University and work. To organize your work individually, we offer flexible working hours without fixed times and home office options.
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Payment & more
Attractive remuneration and social benefits
 
We offer great benefits such as a salary based on our Collective Labor Agreement, an annual bonus and excellent pension scheme.
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Wellness Balance & Personal Growth
Health - your basis
 
Because we think it is important that you are healthy and feel good, we offer all kinds of great extras: we provide various opportunities to work out via our Always Energy program which offers a wide range of opportunities to indulge in sports (organised training for different sports, competitions and events).
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Technology & Innovation
Modern working environment
  • Modern IT-tools
  • Ergonomic workstations
  • Very well equipped conference rooms and communication solutions that enable cross-location and cross-border collaboration
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This will be our challenge

System Operations secures the reliability by continuity of transport services, system services and market facilitation 24/7. Our reliability ranks among the highest in the world. This can only be sustained if we are a well-designed process driven unit.  Process management, development and continuous improvement of processes and systems is therefore relevant.

Additional information

What do we offer you?
  • A monthly gross internship allowance of 500 euros based on a 40-hour work week
  • Travel and remote working allowance
  • Hybrid working: we enjoy working together at the office, but working from home is also possible
  • A laptop provided by TenneT for the duration of your internship
The position may gets unpublished earlier, so don't hesitate to apply!
 

Salary

500 € - 500 €

Diversity

Since we use AI as part of our recruiting process, we would like to create transparency and clarity at this point. The AI serves exclusively as a supporting and recommending tool to make our processes even faster and more efficient. At no time are automated decisions made.
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TenneT keeps the Netherlands powered. We transport electricity 24/7 across the high-voltage grid, connect customers, and enable the energy transition by expanding the grid and using it more intelligently. Together with our partners, we work towards a reliable, affordable and resilient energy system. This is how we connect the Netherlands to a sustainable future.

Connecting everyone to a brighter energy future.