Research

My science and policy research has covered nuclear energy, nuclear waste, energy security, and global environmental issues. I have focused on developing new analytical approaches and exploring new conceptualizations relevant to these issues. This was mainly conducted through research projects, grants, and consulting services. I also conducted R&D projects in the nuclear industry.

HEATSTORE, “High Temperature Underground Thermal Energy Storage”, 2021–2022

Project: European Commission, GEOTHERMICA – ERA NET Cofund, Grant Agreement No.: 170153-4401. Project aimed at accelerating the uptake of geothermal energy as a low-carbon and sustainable energy system by addressing technical, economic, environmental, regulatory and policy aspects to support efficient and cost-effective deployment of UTES technologies in Europe. / Relevant results: (1) Design of UTES projects including subsurface and heating system integration modelling; (2) Demonstration of UTES approaches through six demonstration projects and eight case studies; and (3) Formulation of best practice guidelines based on experiences and learnings to define a roadmap for further development of UTES in Europe towards 2050. / Contribution: As Associate Research Director, I coordinated Task 5.3 on model validation for subsurface dynamics as part of WP5 Monitoring and validation to assess performance and workflow of UTES systems and I co-edited the deliverable D5.3. — https://www.heatstore.eu/

ENTRUST, “Building Trust in Nuclear Waste Management”, 2017–2020

Project: Marie Sklodowska-Curie Global Fellowship H2020-MSCA-IF-GF-2016 funded by the European Commission; €257,191.20. Coordinated by Amphos21 Consulting S.L., Barcelona, Spain and CISAC, Stanford University. Grant Agreement No.: 739850. / Relevant results: (1) Development of a new approach to the socio-technical integration of nuclear waste disposal systems; (2) Clarification of the “safety case” concept in the performance of geological repositories; and (3) Design of a siting process for nuclear waste disposal facilities that generates greater public acceptance. / Contribution: As Principal Investigator (PI), I wrote the awarded proposal, implemented the project, and prepared the technical and financial interim reporting to the European Commission. — https://www.fdiazmaurin.eu/research/entrust/

HoNESt, “History of Nuclear Energy and Society”, 2016–2017

Project: H2020-Euratom program NFRP-12-2015 funded by the European Commission; €3,052,269.00; Universitat Pompeu Fabra is Coordinator. Contract No.: NFRP-12-2015-196914. / Relevant results: Publication of 20 short summary country reports on the history of nuclear energy and society. / Contribution: I have been contracted for the technical review of 22 country reports (approx. 3,000 pages) in the first phase of the project, independently from the PI, Prof. Albert Presas Puig. — http://honest2020.eu/

PARTICIPIA, “Participatory Integrated Assessment of Energy Systems to promote Energy Access and Efficiency”, 2013–2016

Project: ACP-EU Co-operation Program in Higher Education (EDULINK II) funded by EuropAid and coordinated by the European Commission; €695,732.00; ICTA-UAB is Coordinator. Contract No.: DCI/AFS/2013/320-333. / Relevant results: (1) Design of new courses in Participatory Integrated Assessment of Energy Systems in collaboration with three universities in Southern Africa; (2) Implementation of the curriculum and accreditation of courses in graduate and postgraduate programs at Stellenbosch University (South Africa), Namibia University of Science and Technology and University of Botswana; and (3) Design of a new massive open online course (MOOC) for undergraduate and graduate students on “Sustainability of Social-Ecological Systems” offered by ICTA-UAB and launched in 2016/2017 on the Coursera platform. / Contribution: As project manager, I wrote the awarded proposal, coordinated the project’s scientific and dissemination activities, and coordinated the narrative and financial reporting to the European Commission. This collaboration provided me with substantive teaching experience and the opportunity to develop my teaching approach. — http://www.participia.net/

NETEP, “European-Brazilian Network on Energy Planning”, 2014–2016

Project: FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IRSES programme; €218,400.00; ICTA-UAB is Partner. Contract No.: PIRSES-GA-2013-612263. / Relevant results: Organization of a summer school on energy planning at The Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering (COPPE) of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) in Brazil for the training of Brazilian researchers. / Contribution: I contributed to the organization and teaching of the summer school at UFRJ. — http://netep.dps.uminho.pt/

Capacity building in multi-scale integrated assessment at the Ecuadorian Secretariat for Planning and Development (SENPLADES), 2014

Project: In 2014, our research team was commissioned by the Ecuadorian Secretariat for Planning and Development (SENPLADES) to train their teams in multi-scale integrated assessment. The collaboration was aimed at strengthening human and institutional capacities in designing and evaluating future development scenarios within the context of the National Plan for Good Living. Several training sessions of SENPLADES team members were organized in Barcelona and in Quito. During this collaboration, I was responsible for conducting the studies and coordinating the training of the teams on the energy and mining sectors, as well as on the construction sector of Ecuador. This collaboration led to the creation of the Centro de Prospectiva Estrategica (CEPROEC) hosted at the Instituto de Altos Estudios Nacionales (IAEN) in Quito and led by my former PhD advisor Jesus Ramos Martin. Several papers and an edited book are in preparation both in English and Spanish which I am co-author. Results of this collaboration have been presented in various national workshops, international conferences, including the 8th annual summit of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) in December 2014 in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

German GIZ-funded Nexus Assessment project, 2012–2013

Project: Application of MuSIASEM approach to three cases in the agrifood sector, commissioned by the Energy Team of the Climate, Energy and Tenure Division (NRC) of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and sponsored by the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ). Liphe4 Scientific Association, Barcelona, Spain (€72,760). Contract No.: GCP/GLO/445/GER(GIZ). / Relevant results: (1) Application of the MuSIASEM approach to three cases in the agri-food sector; (2) Publication of a FAO Green Series report; and (3) Publication of an edited book at Routledge. / Contribution: I contributed to all three case studies, coordinated the South Africa case study, and co-authored the FAO Green Series report and 4 book chapters. — http://www.nexus-assessment.info/

Design of the Hanford Vitrification Plant (Hanford Site, WA), 2010

Firm: AREVA Federal Services LLC (AFS), Boston, MA, USA. / Project: Hanford Vitrification Plant (Hanford Site, WA), the world’s largest radioactive waste treatment plant, used for vitrifying Hanford’s tank waste for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). / Contribution: As a Mechanical Engineer, I designed recirculation pumps through Finite Element Analysis (FEA), and performed the verification and validation of an integrated software for the piping design stress analysis of the recirculation loop.

Design Certification Licensing of the US EPR™, 2009

Firm: AREVA Inc. North America, Boston, MA, USA. / Project: Civil/structural engineering support to the Probabilistic Risk Assessment unit for the Design Certification Licensing of the US EPR™, a generation III+ nuclear reactor, by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). / Contribution: As a Structural Engineer, I performed and coordinated dynamic structural analyses of the U.S. EPR™ reactor under accidental scenarios.

Design of Nuclear Reactor Buildings and Structures of the EPR™ Nuclear Power Plant in France (Flamanville 3), 2007–2008

Firm: Setec TPI, Paris, France. / Project: Structural design of nuclear reactor buildings and management of execution calculations (150 pers., 5000 plans, €11 million) of the EPR™ in France (Flamanville3) for Electricité de France (EDF). / Contribution: As a Structural Engineer, I computed and tested soil-structure interaction models of one of the EPR™ nuclear reactor buildings, calculated reinforced concrete structures and studied anchor plates for the nuclear reactor pool liners, and managed draftsmen for producing plans after the calculations of the reinforced concrete structures. I also took part as Deputy Project Director in the supervision team (5 pers.) for coordinating production offices in France (45 pers.), Tunisia (50 pers.), Morocco (30 pers.) and Egypt (20 pers.).