Thesis Work - Digital Process Bus for Protection Systems in Offshore Wind Farms

Are you a student looking to apply your knowledge to real-world solutions that support the energy transition? With us, you will have the opportunity to complete your thesis project close to the business, working alongside experienced specialists and tackling challenges where your ideas and perspectives can make a real difference.

At the Digital Energy Solutions department, we develop Vattenfall’s digital solutions that make tomorrow’s energy systems more efficient, flexible, and secure. From decentralized energy resources such as battery storage, e-mobility, and demand response to automation, secure IT/OT integration, and communication solutions, we turn innovation into real-world impact and help accelerate the transition to fossil freedom.

As offshore wind farms continue to grow in size and complexity, reliable protection and control systems are essential to ensure safe operation and maximize energy production. Traditional systems rely on extensive hardwired connections between instrument transformers, switchgear, and protection relays. With the emergence of IEC 61850-based digital substations, these conventional interfaces can be replaced by a digital process bus, enabling measurements and status signals to be transmitted via fiber-optic communication networks.

Digital process bus technology offers significant benefits, including reduced cabling, enhanced asset monitoring, and increased flexibility. At the same time, it introduces new challenges related to interoperability, cybersecurity, reliability, testing, and commissioning, particularly in the demanding environment of offshore wind farms.

About the thesis

In this Master's thesis, you will explore the potential of digital process bus technology for offshore wind farm applications. The work will focus on:

• Evaluating suitable digital process bus architectures for offshore wind farms.
• Assessing operational and maintenance (O&M) benefits and challenges.
• Investigating interoperability and standardization aspects.
• Analysing reliability, availability, and cybersecurity considerations.
• Developing a practical roadmap for implementation and deployment.

Expected outcome

The objective of the thesis is to provide a clear overview of the technical and operational considerations associated with implementing digital process bus technology in offshore wind farms. The results will support future decision-making regarding the adoption of digital substation technologies and help identify key opportunities, challenges, and success factors for offshore deployment.

Qualifications

We are looking for a student who are about to complete their academic studies and are eager to apply their knowledge in a real-world setting through a thesis project at Vattenfall. You are someone who shares our values and identifies with our principles: Active, Open, Positive and Safety.

• Education – Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Energy Engineering, Power Systems Engineering, or any similar fields.
• Scope – Master thesis with 30 credits.
• Excellent fluency in written and spoken English is a must.
• Understanding of power systems with emphasis on substations design.
• Understanding of protection systems and communication protocols in power systems.
• Familiarity with IEC standards and cybersecurity.
• Proficient in requirements management, modeling, and documentation.
• Ability to work across disciplines and communicate technical concepts effectively.

This assignment is for 1 master student.

Additional Information

• Start date: Beginning of February 2027, exact starting date is by agreement.
• Location: Solna, Stockholm.
• Application – one file containing both your CV and a copy of your transcripts.
• Application deadline: 2026-10-18, the hiring process is ongoing, therefore please apply as soon as possible.
• Contact person and supervisor at Vattenfall: Yiming Wu, yiming.wu@vattenfall.com , and Catalina Buitrago andreacatalina.buitragootalora@vattenfall.com

Diversity and Inclusion – In Everything We Do

At Vattenfall, we value being Active, Positive, Open, and Safety-conscious. We are looking for employees who share our vision and can contribute to strengthening our company culture. We believe that diversity helps build a more successful and attractive company, and we strive to be role models in diversity and inclusion. Vattenfall actively works to ensure that all employees have equal opportunities and rights, regardless of age, ethnic or cultural background, gender identity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or disability. Read more about how we work with diversity and inclusion here.

Vattenfall is part of Sweden’s critical infrastructure, and many of our positions are therefore classified from a security perspective. If this position is security-classified, a security screening will be conducted prior to employment in accordance with the Swedish Security Protection Act.

Company Description

Vattenfall is a leading European energy company serving approximately 12 million customers and employing around 21,000 people. We believe there is a way to build a future where everyone can choose fossil-free ways to move, make, and live.