Aura Centre for Doctoral Training

Aura CDT activities:

I am currently the Education and Engagement Rep for the Aura CDT Student Committee. As part of this role, I organised an engagement project, helping pupils from Egglescliffe School, Teesside explore the science behind building a wind turbine. I worked with Sarah Dickson, and coordinated a team of seven volunteers drawn from various cohorts of the Aura CDT who delivered a programme of interactive workshop activities. 

I have been privileged to take part in an internship with Kinewell Energy, where I carried out a case study centered around their decision-support tool KDOTS. The project involved gathering and analysing reliability and cost data for offshore wind turbines to support optimal decision-making during early-stage wind farm design. The internship was supported through funding from the Impact Acceleration Account (IAA), which was secured in collaboration between Durham University, Catapult and Kinewell my supervisors, Dr. Behzad Kazemtabrizi and Professor Matthias Troffaes. The project concluded with a side event at Global Offshore Wind 2025 in London, where I gave a talk introducing KDOTS and participated in a panel discussion on the Managing risk in infrastructure planning in an uncertain world.

Background:

I completed my Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering followed by my MSc in Sustainable Energy at the University of Glasgow. Throughout my academic studies I worked on various projects including the field of solar energy. During my MSc, for my final report entitled ‘Small scale wind turbine for urban power production’, I conducted a structural analysis for an innovative wind turbine tower constructed from recycled plastic bottles and eco-bricks designed for implementation and installation within urban and rural areas. Following my Masters Degree, I completed an internship at the Indian Government National Institute of Wind Energy. My area of responsibility was a resource assessment and design of a solar-wind-wave-diesel generator hybrid farm, for the decarbonisation of the island of Kavaratti which lies 360 km (190 nm.) off the coast of the state of Kerala in India.

Research Interests:

I expanded my knowledge in the field of wind energy during my research in the field of wind turbines and wind energy having embarked upon my Masters at the University of Glasgow. Being an Electrical Engineer helped me to develop an intimate knowledge and understanding of electrical energy production and transmission. Now I wish to work not only on the technical aspects of energy but also on the human aspect of the offshore wind turbine. I am determined to assist society in achieving a net zero environment by way of my research. 

Why I applied to the Aura CDT:

In my view Aura is an example of an organisation which has successfully integrated morality into the pursuit of innovation, development, and commerce. Having done my ‘Masters’ in the United Kingdom I am very comfortable with the environment and the language. Moreover, the PhD program in the field of ‘offshore wind turbine’ excited me as it aligned with my own background and lifelong interest in sustainable energy. In my humble opinion, the CDT is bringing together all the major components of the research in this field. It combines both technical and social aspects, thus creating a great opportunity for me to pursue my PhD. Enabling me to achieve my goals whilst at the same time being of assistance on a larger scale within the Aura environment. 

My research:

I am researching Data-driven Infrastructure Planning for Offshore Wind Farms.

Contact: auracdt@hull.ac.uk