Vacant job

Do you want to contribute to the energy transition and work in a developing environment where you become an important link in a socially vital operation? As society electrifies at a rapid pace, the energy sector faces several major challenges. Sweden needs to quickly double electricity production, expand the power grid, and simultaneously switch to renewable electricity. Do you want to help make this possible? Then you might be one of our future thesis students!

Svenska kraftnät is a state-owned enterprise that acts as the system-responsible authority for the power system in Sweden and manages and develops Sweden's electricity transmission grid.

The Unit for Permits, Construction North and South is responsible for planning and implementing the permitting process (permits, licenses, notifications, and dispensations) in construction and investment projects. The area of responsibility includes permit work in the construction phase (preparations and implementation) and in demolition and station projects.

Background

Svenska kraftnät is in an exciting phase where the power grid is to be expanded and reinvested. In each line project, a concession is sought which contains conditions that we need to adhere to during the construction phase. The same may apply to various notifications or permits where protective and precautionary measures are specified. What we see as challenging are the conditions regarding disturbing or noisy work where there is a lack of knowledge and basis for what applies to work tasks in the construction phase for a backbone grid line. Our experience is that the noise quickly diminishes and may differ from other existing practices. We in the permits department feel that there is a gap in the knowledge regarding noisy/disturbing work and that the standard wording in conditions regarding "noisy work" and "disturbing work" is very unclear.

The Assignment

The assignment involves conducting noise measurements for various work tasks during the construction phase and taking measurements from different distances from the sound source, as well as linking this to how different environmental factors affect it. We want to know how far the disturbing noise travels in different environments and for how long during an ongoing construction project. Examples of work tasks can be excavation, piling, cable pulling, joint blasting, etc. A literature study should initiate the thesis work. It may also be relevant to note how wildlife seems to be affected by the noise and see if this emerges from the literature study.

The aim is to produce a report containing a table for disturbing noise, work tasks, how the sound behaves at different distances and for how long, as well as anything relevant for how the sound is perceived by the fauna. The report should also include a comparison between measured values and the current guideline values and recommendations.

Your Profile/Background

• You should currently be studying a natural science program at the master's level with a relevant focus, such as acoustics or biology.
• You should have knowledge of Swedish biogeography, deciduous forests, coniferous forests, bog landscapes, and wetlands.

We consider it an asset if you have:

• Experience with construction projects.
• A B-class driver's license.

As a person, we are looking for someone who is driven, cooperative, and structured.

You should be proficient in both Swedish and English, both spoken and written.

Since we work with important infrastructure in society, our services are security classified, and Swedish citizenship is therefore a requirement.

Conditions for Compensation

The following must be submitted for the payment of the fee to take place:

• The thesis report must be completed and available in its final version.
• A statement via email from the Svenska kraftnät supervisor stating that the thesis student is finished from Svenska kraftnät's side. This includes that you/you have presented your work at Svenska kraftnät.
• A statement via email from the university supervisor stating that the thesis student is finished from their side. This includes that you/you have presented your work at the university, and if applicable, have opposed another's work.

An extract from the grade register LADOK (PDF via email) showing that a passed thesis work has been reported.

The scope of the assignment is 30 higher education credits.

For answers to general and practical questions, we refer primarily to Lovisa Skoglundh at tel: 010-350 9285. For answers to specific questions regarding the assignment, we refer to Matilda Schön at tel: 010-475 8806.

We want your application no later than 2026-04-23. The planned start for the thesis work is September 2026.