(Görlitz) – On the occasion of a visit by federal and state politicians to the newly emerging “Hydrogen Lab Görlitz” (HLG), the Fraunhofer Society provided further details about the future research platform. The Fraunhofer Institutes for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU and for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS want to pool their competencies at the Siemens Energy Innovation Center location.
From the end of next year, new technologies for generating, storing and using hydrogen can be developed and tested along the entire hydrogen value chain. As reported, the HLG is jointly financed by the federal and state governments. The Free State of Saxony is supporting the construction, installation of the system technology and commissioning with 30,5 million euros, 90 percent of which consists of financial aid from the federal government. The federal government is providing an additional 10,5 million euros from the STARK program to support projects that support the transformation process towards a sustainable economic structure in the coal regions. The Free State is making a further 1,1 million euros available for this purpose. In total, the funding for Fraunhofer amounts to 42,1 million euros.
With its connected load of around twelve megawatts, the HLG will become a location for the development and testing of hydrogen technologies on an industrial scale in Saxony. The research focus is initially on the production and storage of hydrogen, expanded to include the use of hydrogen in mobile and stationary fuel cells, particularly for mobility and to supply neighborhoods and industrial sites. This primarily includes the evaluation of stacks and systems, microstructure analysis and diagnostics, digitalization, production processes, power electronics and certification, according to a statement.
Specifically, for example, the “ontoHy” research project is creating a digital “data and knowledge space” for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This includes tools (ontologies) to present and transfer knowledge about application-oriented hydrogen technologies. Companies can test, develop, verify and integrate their products into the hydrogen cycle with the help of technical, economic and ecological data. The project is supported by the integration of the HLG into the regional hydrogen network “DurcH2atmen”.
Construction work for the HLG is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2021. The HLG research platform is expected to gradually begin research operations at the end of 2022. In the future, around 2023 people will work at the HLG once it is fully operational in 30, including 20 permanently employed scientists and ten other regularly changing employees from the field of training and further education who are involved in research projects.
The Fraunhofer Society had this in May Hydrogen Lab Leuna put into operation.
Photos
Visited the Siemens Energy innovation campus and the construction site of the future hydrogen test laboratory (from left to right): Jochen Eickholt, member of the board of Siemens Energy, Welf-Guntram Drossel, managing director of the Fraunhofer IWU, Grzegorz Macko, deputy marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer , Thomas Schmidt, Saxon State Minister for Regional Development and Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier. / © Pawel Sosnowski
