Foundation laid for the energy transition

On 18 August, the symbolic starting signal was given at Technical University of Braunschweig for the “Centre for Circular Production of Next Batteries and Fuel Cells” (CPC): From 2027, around 150 scientists will work on circular production and recycling processes for batteries and fuel cells in a 3,700-square-metre facility. The new research building, estimated to cost around 73 million euros, is being funded by the state and federal government with 65 million euros. The new research building will also strengthen the regional network of Braunschweig LabFactories for Batteries and More (BLB+), driving its forward-looking development.

The project represents a nationally recognised milestone for battery and hydrogen research in Braunschweig: at Braunschweig Research Airport, Professor Angela Ittel (President of Technical University of Braunschweig), Falko Mohrs (Lower Saxony’s Minister for Science and Culture), Dr Thorsten Kornblum (Mayor of Braunschweig) and Professor Arno Kwade (designated spokesperson for the CPC) jointly laid the foundation stone for this outstanding research building.

Complete material cycle through integration of recycling and resynthesis processes

The central goal of the CPC is the complete integration of recycling and resynthesis processes into the circular production of new generations of batteries and energy converters as early as the product development phase.

Around 150 scientists from the fields of process engineering, recycling, manufacturing technology, chemistry, physics and logistics will collaborate to conduct research into solid-state batteries, membrane-based flow batteries, fuel cells and metal-oxygen systems.

Particular focus is given to the recovery of critical raw materials and their processing into high-purity active materials, which enables a consistently circular economy approach and ensures the sustainable use of valuable resources by closing material cycles.

The CPC is under construction in close proximity to the research facilities of TU Braunschweig’s NFF (vehicle engineering) and NFL (aviation), as well as the Fraunhofer Centre for Energy Storage and Systems (ZESS) and the BLB’s (Battery LabFactory Braunschweig) CircularLab test hall. This means that the CPC is closely linked to energy storage, vehicle and aviation research, further strengthening both the research focus on mobility in Braunschweig and Lower Saxony’s research activities on the energy transition. The research building therefore makes a significant contribution to two of the key technologies identified in the recently published HighTech Agenda Germany: “Technologies for climate-neutral mobility” and “Fusion and climate-neutral energy generation”. One focus is establishing competitive battery production and recycling in Germany by 2035.

Braunschweig LabFactories for Batteries and more (BLB+)

As part of the Braunschweig LabFactories for Batteries and More (BLB+) regional network, the CPC brings together Germany’s leading expertise in sustainable energy storage and fuel cell research, alongside the Battery LabFactory Braunschweig (BLB) and the Fraunhofer Centre for Energy Storage and Systems (Fraunhofer ZESS). Apart from TU Braunschweig and the Fraunhofer Society, the TU Clausthal, the PTB and Leibniz University Hannover are also closely collaborating within the science ecosystem. The collaboration aims to achieve closed material cycles for lithium-ion and solid-state batteries, as well as fuel cells and electrolysers, through the development of new electrodes and membranes, innovative cell concepts, in-situ diagnostic procedures, digital simulation tools, and ecologically and economically optimised recycling and material synthesis processes. Close industrial partnerships enable the rapid development of marketable products, in the interests of ensuring a resilient, climate-friendly energy supply for Germany and Europe.

About the research building

The concept for the new CPC building, developed under the direction of Prof. Arno Kwade, envisages a research building divided into an office wing with four full storeys and a staggered storey, as well as a technical centre with two full storeys and a half technical storey. The two parts of the building are connected by a linking structure to form a single complex and will be used by scientists from the Technical University of Braunschweig and the Technical University of Clausthal.

Completion is scheduled for the end of 2027. Up to 73 million euros are available for the construction. More than half of this funding (38.6 million euros) is being provided by the state of Lower Saxony (with 31.6 million euros coming from the zukunft.niedersachsen programme), while the federal government is contributing 26.4 million euros and TU Braunschweig 8 million euros.

Comments on the new research building:

Falko Mohrs, Lower Saxony Minister for Science and Culture:

“Battery research is one of the key technologies of the future for Lower Saxony as a centre of science and industry. Research and development into long-life, recyclable batteries and efficient fuel cell technologies are crucial, particularly for the competitiveness of our automotive industry, but also for a sustainable and future-proof energy supply. As a state, we are investing around 73 million euros in this innovative project with long-term prospects, alongside the federal government and TU Braunschweig. By establishing the CPC, which is closely integrated into Braunschweig’s excellent research environment, we are strengthening Lower Saxony’s position as a hub for cutting-edge battery and fuel cell research.”

Prof. Angela Ittel, President of TU Braunschweig:

“Sustainable ideas always need space. Both intellectual and material. The CPC will be both: a place for alchemists in the truest sense of the word, combining knowledge, technology and creativity. It will also be a place for curious explorers who have the courage to question established production logic and try something new. We can do this because at TU Braunschweig, we are strong: where others see waste, we see resources. Where others waste energy, we conserve it. Here, linear becomes circular and visions become reality. It is remarkable that a construction project of this speed and scope can be realised. We have been conducting visible cutting-edge research in these areas for a long time, and what is being created here will sustainably consolidate our position in the top league.”

Thorsten Kornblum, Mayor of the City of Braunschweig:

“Braunschweig is already an important centre for battery research. In recent years, an ecosystem of universities, research institutions, industry, businesses and associations has emerged here, and the research location has thus caught up with the world’s best. The laying of the foundation stone is therefore a symbol of progress in the best sense of the word: for cooperation, responsibility and cutting-edge research. May this place become a centre for ideas, exchange and breakthroughs – right here at the Research Airport, where the future of mobility is being shaped.”

Prof. Arno Kwade, designated spokesperson for the CPC and head of the Battery LabFactory Braunschweig (BLB):

“The CPC research building will be the physical embodiment of a “circular research factory”. We are developing experimental and digital methods to investigate function-preserving material cycles, as well as energy-efficient recycling and production processes. This will make a decisive contribution to Germany’s high-tech agenda and technological sovereignty. In the regional network “Braunschweig LabFactories for Batteries and more”, or BLB+ for short, the CPC, together with the two other research centres BLB and Fraunhofer ZESS Braunschweig, will establish itself as one of the three strongest battery research locations in Germany in the long term.”

Norbert Schachtner, Managing Director at Nickl & Partner:

“The CPC in Braunschweig is the best proof that, with proactive cooperation between all those involved in the project, the “brain to market” model can still work excellently and quickly in Germany.” Norbert Schachtner, Managing Director at Nickl & Partner