Davide Balzarini

My research focuses on flexible molten salt systems for advanced energy applications, from industrial heat supply to large-scale heat and power generation. I investigate the integration of molten salt thermal energy storage (TES) with different energy sources and conversion technologies to improve the flexibility and efficiency of low-carbon energy systems. By decoupling energy generation from energy use, thermal storage can facilitate the integration of renewable and nuclear energy while providing dispatchable heat and power.

Currently, my research activities at KTH are mainly performed within the following collaborative research projects:

• I-UPS— Innovative High Temperature Heat Pump for Flexible Industrial Systems

• UP-FLEXH— Innovative High Temperature Heat Pump for Flexible Industrial Heat on Demand

• RIHOND— Renewable Industrial Heat On Demand

• SPG-MSR— Sustainable Power Generating cycle components for Nuclear Molten Salt Reactors

Background

I received my M.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering from Politecnico di Milano in 2024, following a B.Sc. in Physics Engineering from the same university in 2021. In 2022, I studied Energy Technology at LUT University in Finland as an Erasmus exchange student.

I joined the Division of Heat and Power Technology at KTH as a doctoral student in 2024.