Ruhr University Bochum (RUB)
Located in the middle of the dynamic and hospitable Ruhr metropolitan region, at the heart of Europe, Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) and its 20 faculties is home to 5000 employees and over 36,500 students from 130 countries. All the scientific and academic disciplines are united on a single compact campus.
RUB is on its way to becoming one of the leading European universities of the 21st Century. Almost all courses are offered as Bachelor and Master degree programmes. Our excellence programmes have made an international name for themselves: our Research School is an international college for structured doctoral research in the life sciences, natural sciences, engineering, the humanities and social sciences. Interfaculty and interdisciplinary research departments, which are mutually, nationally and internationally networked, sharpen the RUB profile. Added to this is an unsurpassed programme to advance early career researchers, and an excellent infrastructure.
What make it all come alive are the people who bring a thirst for knowledge, curiosity, and commitment to campus. They help to shape RUB, and their open-mindedness makes it an attractive place for people from around the world.
Chair of Energy Systems and Energy Economics(LEE)
The Chair of Energy Systems and Energy Economics (LEE) conducts research into the technology and economics of energy. The focus of its work is technical and economic examination of new energy technologies with regard to their integration in the existing energy supply and their contribution to rational energy use and reducing greenhouse gases. Core issues are cumulative energy expenditure and life cycle assessment of renewable energy sources, analysis of deployment options for efficient and innovative technologies such as solar and wind power, hydrogen and storage technologies, low-energy buildings and settlements, as well as analyses and simulations for nuclear power plantsafety.
Role in the project
The Chair of Energy Systems and Energy Economics (LEE)is in charge of evaluating economic efficiency against the background ofthe market dynamics in the energy sector. Economic analysis is undertaken to assess the possible applications and storage philosophies and evaluate the storage costs for the use of underground pumpedstorage plants. It will also look at aspects of storage optimization. Initial preparatory work on a lifecycle assessmentof the system will beconducted and create the necessary basis for similar assessment withina possible follow-up project.
Institute for Mining and Energy Law (IBE)
The Institute of Mining and Energy Law (IBE) is a central research unit of RuhrUniversity Bochum and a major research and consulting centre for German, European and international mining law and energy law. The IBE is characterized in particular by its interdisciplinary and international work(including its own ERASMUS programme).The research focus of the Institute is on the closely interconnected issues of mining and energy law, with all the associated links to constitutional and administrative law, including municipal, planning and environmental law, as well as commercial, corporate and competition law. Aspects of public international law and in particularEuropean law in the "globalized" world of energy are also attracting increasing attention. The research activities of the IBE currently focus on the diverse, and especially legal, challenges posed bythe German “energy revolution”.These include the legal issues surrounding the necessary expansion of the grid, the development of "smart" energy networks and markets ("Innovative regulation for smart grids: Smart grids" project) andelectromobility ("SecMobil: IKT for Electric mobility II - Smart Car - Smart Grid - Smart Traffic" research project).
Role in the project
The IBE is responsible for the evaluation of the legal framework and for identifying anyneed for legislative action. The focus of the legal analysis is first and foremost on licensing law, in particular examination of the licensing requirements for underground pumped storage plant under mining, pollution control and water law, spatial planning and land use planning laws, building and construction regulations,and also under energy industry law.On this basis it should be possible to make areliable assessmentof approvability that also takes into account organizational and procedural questions. In addition tolicensing law,a focus will also be on environmental liability and mining damage law in relation to any changes in the responsibilities of mining and future UPS operators. Another part of the concept in terms of water law will consider the questions surrounding the use of storage reservoirsand existing water bodies or channels . The concluding topic of the study, and one which has significant relevance to the economic viability of the project,will relate toenergy industry law and in particular to the question of integrating UPS operation in the funding framework for renewable energy.
Supervision at the Institute: Prof. Dr. John-Christian Pielow, Simon Th. Groneberg
More information, also onpeople, publications and teaching, can be found: Website of the IBE
Hydrogeology
Hydrogeology at Ruhr University Bochum works to enhance our understanding of flow, chemical reactions and transport in groundwater byteaching, developing and performing numerical, field and laboratory studies. The latter aim at investigating methods to allow better monitoring and prediction of processes in groundwater.Our research contributes to the ongoing challenge of managing sustainable use of groundwater and aquifers.