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Well networked for the energy transition University research advances the sustainable use of hydrogen
Hydrogen is a key building block in the energy transition. It can be obtained through the use of renewable energies and burns relatively cleanly and residue-free, forming water. Moreover, as a by-product of the chemical industry, it is available in large quantities in NRW. “This makes it possible to shift to hydrogen as an energy carrier without jeopardising the security of the supply”, says Stefanie Meilinger, Professor of Sustainable Technologies at H-BRS. For this reason, the cities of Brühl, Hürth, Cologne and Wesseling as well as the Rheinisch-Bergische district and the Rhein-Sieg district developed “H2R - Hydrogen Rhineland” in the summer of 2020. This concept for the sustainable use of the energy carrier is about promoting hydrogen mobility and better coordinating the production, distribution and storage of the valuable gas.
Prize winner in the state-wide competition In the competition “Model Municipality/Region Hydrogen Mobility NRW” (“Modellkommune/-region Wasserstoffmobilität NRW”) organised by the state ministry, the association scored points with its approach. Together with two other model regions, “H2R - Hydrogen Rhineland” was awarded a prize and received state funding for the development of the detailed concept. The over 270-page concept involved more than 80 companies, higher education institutes, research institutions, chambers, networks and other hydrogen stakeholders with their ideas, including Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg.
The partners drew up a comprehensive roadmap, including the joint goal of building 100 kilometres of hydrogen pipeline in Cologne and the surrounding area, using 1,111 hydrogen vehicles by 2023 and expanding a network of hydrogen filling stations. Waste management companies in the region want to use refuse collection vehicles powered by fuel cells, and by the end of 2021 Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK), a regional transport company, wants to convert 52 buses to the climate-friendly technology. The role of Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg is to contribute its expertise on the topic of sector coupling, i.e. the interlinking of electricity, heat, mobility and industrial processes for the purpose of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. “An important question in this context is the overall eco-balance – a topic we also discuss in our CitizenLab Energy and Resources”, explains Meilinger. In the CitizenLab, experts from the university and the project partner, Forschungszentrum Jülich, a research centre, exchange views on the state of technology with specialists and the interested public in panel discussions, lectures and workshops. In addition, students deal with this question in the Master’s degree programme “Sustainable Engineering”, which launches summer semester 2021.
