On September 12, 2024 the Schleswig-Holstein State Competence Center for Hydrogen Research (HY.SH) together with that Science Center for Electromobility, Power Electronics and Decentralized Energy Supply (EMLE) the third HY.SH research symposium was organized at the Lübeck University of Technology. The aim was to present current research topics and results from Schleswig-Holstein and to offer an exchange and discussion platform for hydrogen researchers in order to further build and expand the hydrogen research community in Schleswig-Holstein.
“We organize our research symposia primarily to organize an exchange. Schleswig-Holstein is simply too small as a federal state and in its research landscape that people don’t know each other, and that’s why we want to use synergies, work together, cooperate and advance hydrogen research as efficiently as possible,” says Sebastian Wirth from HY.SH.
Prof. Oliver Opel, project coordinator of HY.SH, emphasized that they had successfully achieved their goal of significantly expanding the hydrogen research community in Schleswig-Holstein. The low-threshold funding program “h2Fonds” with a total volume of 920,000 euros contributed in particular to this. For the future, Opel would like to see the topic of hydrogen not only anchored in the technical sciences, but also increasingly in the economics and social sciences. Despite the achievements There is still a need for research in the implementation phase, as the phase of mass production and the associated cost reductions, such as in battery production, have not yet been reached.
Mobility and energy transition: two sides of the same coin
For the deputy director and spokesman for the EMLE science center at the TH Lübeck, Clemens Kerssen, the mobility and energy transition are two sides of the same coin. In a look behind the scenes, he gave the scientists in attendance an insight into the learning curve of the EMLE team since the science center was founded in 2012 by Roland Tiedemann.
The EMLE team is currently working on the development and integration of a hydrogen hybrid storage system using components procured through the h2Fonds. This means that the machine and electromobility laboratory can temporarily operate energy self-sufficiently and students have the opportunity to get to know the hydrogen system using a specific application.
Hydrogen is not an airborne phenomenon
In her keynote, Prof. Aylin Bicakci from the University of Applied Sciences Kiel the central role of power electronics for the energy transition. She explained that power electronics are essential for the conversion of electrical energy, from solar or wind turbines to the end user in the low-voltage network.
Prof. Maximilian Student (THL) highlighted the potential of agriculture in relation to renewable energies. Student explained that agriculture is dependent on fossil resources and is therefore not sustainable. At the same time, it is ideal for using renewable energies based on existing technologies. During the harvest season, which lasts a few days on a farm and around a month across the country, a lot of energy is required, which could be collected from the sun and wind during the rest of the year and stored in hydrogen storage.
Another research field was presented by Prof. Hinrich Uellendahl from the Flensburg University before: Uellendahl presented the biological and chemical process for the methanation of hydrogen using catalysts and reported on innovative systems from Denmark that are already using this technology.
Hydrogen also plays an important role at maritime level. Prof. Julian Jepsen from Helmholtz Center Hereon gave an overview of current hydrogen research projects and presented a research ship that is currently being built. It will be powered by hydrogen in the future. Florian Schieker from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) reported in detail about the ship.
In his contribution, Moritz Jens from Kiel University of Applied Sciences presented the use of artificial intelligence to optimize the mechanical welding of hydrogen compressed gas storage devices. This technology can significantly increase production efficiency and improve storage security.
Frank Meisel from the CAU Kiel and the CAPTN Energy project presented the results of interviews with industry representatives on the use of renewable energies in the maritime economy. While some companies called for clear regulations in order to obtain more investment security, others feared restrictions due to additional requirements.
Prof. Christian Buchmüller from the University of Applied Sciences West Coast addressed the legal challenges when importing sustainably produced hydrogen and its derivatives. In his discussions with Australian government representatives, it became clear that the EU requirements to ensure sustainability are difficult to implement in many countries. Australia is now increasingly concentrating on exporting green steel, which may be a direct result of this problem.
The legal and economic framework was also the focus of Sina Freitag and Lena Thiessen from the West Coast University of Applied Sciences. While Freitag explained the key points of the Hydrogen Acceleration Act, Thiessen analyzed the skills required for the hydrogen economy and examined how these could be used to solve the skills shortage.
At the end of the symposium, Dr. Frank Schiller and Volker Köhne gathered participants’ opinions on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks of hydrogen research in Schleswig-Holstein in a workshop.
HY.SH: The Schleswig-Holstein State Competence Center for Hydrogen Research
The State Competence Center for Hydrogen Research Schleswig-Holstein (HY.SH) started its work on October 1st, 2021 under the umbrella of the Society for Energy and Climate Protection Schleswig-Holstein GmbH (EKSH). This newly founded, central contact point for hydrogen researchers in Schleswig-Holstein is financed by Ministry of General and Vocational Education, Science, Research and Culture Schleswig-Holstein (MBWFK).
The event was organized by the EKSH financed with funds from the “H2Fonds – Time for Hydrogen”, which are made available to the state’s universities by the MBWFK.