New impetus for energy research Cross-location programme promotes solutions for the energy system of the future
Technische Universität Braunschweig and several of its institutes are participating in a major interdisciplinary, cross-location energy research programme in the state of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony). The new research programme of the Energy Research Centre of Lower Saxony (EFZN) “Transformation of the Energy System in Niedersachsen” (TEN.efzn) is intended to enable the strategic development and re-profiling of energy research in Niedersachsen until 2030. The state of Niedersachsen and the Volkswagen Foundation are providing a total of €58.2 million in funding for the joint project from the zukunft.niedersachsen (future.niedersachsen) programme; TU Braunschweig will receive around €5 million. The joint project was presented to the public at a kick-off event on 14 October 2024.
Over the next five years, more than 180 scientists from a total of 15 universities, universities of applied sciences and non-university research institutions will be working on solutions for the energy system of the future. The participants are brought together by the EFZN, a joint scientific centre of the universities of Braunschweig, Clausthal, Göttingen, Hannover and Oldenburg, which acts as a research, networking and communication platform to bundle expertise in energy research in Niedersachsen.
Structured in six closely interlinked research platforms, the project combines the strengths of energy research in Niedersachsen. TU Braunschweig is involved in the following research platforms:
Expansion of wind energy
The “Reallabor 70 GW Offshore Wind” project is analysing the planned expansion of wind energy in the German North Sea by 2045 from a socio-technical perspective and developing the basis for achieving the planned 70 gigawatts of offshore capacity. The researchers involved are looking at issues such as the potential for social conflict, the opportunities and conditions for the success of the expansion, marine spatial planning, the life cycle management of wind turbines, system integration and turbine aerodynamics, and the potential impact of the expansion on the marine environment.
The Leichtweiß-Institute for Hydraulic Engineering (LWI) at TU Braunschweig is involved in the project in Innovation Area II “Sustainable maritime spatial planning and use of the German Bight”. In particular, the researchers are investigating the potential for co-utilisation with offshore wind farms. Both energy co-use (wave, tidal, solar, etc.) and non-energy co-use (fishing, transport, etc.) will be considered. For example, stakeholder surveys are used to develop co-use scenarios, which are then evaluated from different perspectives (costs, environmental impacts, etc.). Based on these assessments, preferred scenarios are then defined.
“The massive expansion of offshore wind energy and the associated use of large areas of land has the potential to create conflicts of use between different stakeholders, for example from the fishing or transport sectors. The involvement of these stakeholders in the development of offshore wind capacity is therefore crucial and can lead to the development of co-use scenarios that help to resolve such conflicts,” says Prof. Nils Goseberg of LWI.
Ammonia as an energy source
The “State Post Graduate Programme Hydrogen and Hydrogen Derivative Ammonia” initiates joint scientific projects by researchers in Niedersachsen with the aim of forming scientifically excellent working groups. This will provide a strong basis for Niedersachsen to become a pioneer in this under-researched area. The possibilities of using green ammonia as a carrier for hydrogen in the future are being investigated.
As ammonia is carbon-free, can be liquefied at low overpressures and is easy to transport, it has great potential in this area. The project focuses on several areas of innovation, including the synthesis of ammonia, its storage, transport and direct use or recovery of hydrogen. The project’s research covers several areas, from synthesis to combustion, as well as safety aspects.
For synthesis, the project will optimise the catalytic synthesis of ammonia using green hydrogen according to the Haber-Bosch process, so that the reactor technology is suitable for future stationary operation and beyond. In the area of storage and transport, ecological, economic and safety aspects will be investigated, as well as ways to decentralised and dynamic use, and transport will be optimised.
Catalysts for reforming ammonia to hydrogen and nitrogen will be further developed and innovative reactor technologies investigated. For the combustion of ammonia, in addition to optimising the combustion behaviour, e.g. with regard to ignition and flame stabilisation, the catalytic cleaning of the nitrogen oxides produced during combustion will be considered. There are also plans to investigate high-temperature and low-temperature fuel cells using ammonia and cracked ammonia.
“In the future, ammonia will play a key role in the research priorities of TU Braunschweig, alongside green hydrogen. In addition, the post graduate programme and the joint activities of TEN.efzn strengthen the interdisciplinary cooperation between research institutions in Niedersachsen and enable the training of new specialists. The content of the project also contributes in particular to the new course of study in battery and hydrogen technologies,” says Prof. Sabrina Zellmer, coordinator of the graduate college.
Junior Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ferraro from the Institute of Aircraft Propulsion and Turbomachinery at TU Braunschweig will investigate the area of combustion in her research group. To do this, advanced simulation methods will be used on high-performance computers.
Close cooperation is planned within TU Braunschweig with the Institute of Particle Technology (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sabrina Zellmer) and the Institute of Technical Chemistry, and beyond TU Braunschweig with the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and the Leibnitz Universität Hannover (LUH).
Trust in the digital energy system
The research platform “Trustworthy Digitalisation of Safety-Critical Energy Systems” is investigating how to maintain and strengthen end-user confidence in an increasingly decentralised, automated and digitally controlled energy system – and thus contribute to a safer energy system.
The progressive use of renewable energies and the intelligent linking of the electricity sector with the heating and transport sectors will enable the transformation to a resource-saving and significantly more efficient energy system in Germany. The expansion of communication and information technology, such as smart meter gateways, must not impair the resilience of the overall system. The elenia Institute for High-Voltage Technology and Energy Systems at TU Braunschweig is therefore using energy system modelling to investigate possible weak points and potential failure scenarios that could result from increasing digitalisation. The Braunschweig-based scientists are focusing primarily on the residential sector and developing energy management algorithms that automatically detect internal or external faults and initiate appropriate fallback strategies.
Heat for buildings and industry
The partners of the research platform “Heat” are researching and developing new heat pump technologies for buildings and industry. At TU Braunschweig, three institutes are involved: the Institute for Thermodynamics (IfT), the Institute for Electrical Machines, Drives and Tracks (IMAB) and the affiliated institute “Steinbeis Innovation Centre energieplus” (SIZ). The three partners are working together on an interdisciplinary basis to develop a new compact plug-and-play heat pump technology. The aim is to use standardised connections and components to quickly and easily integrate the heat pumps to be developed into different building energy systems. The IfT is designing the new heat pump. The IMAB is developing and researching the associated power electronics that will enable integration into future electrical energy systems. SIZ is responsible for integrating the plug-and-play concepts into the heating and hot water systems of different buildings as required.
Dr. Wilhelm Tegethoff, spokesman for the Heat research platform, emphasises: “With our research, we are helping to ensure that buildings and industry can be supplied with heat in the future in a way that is climate-neutral, efficient, cost-effective and in line with requirements.”
About the EFZN
The Energy Research Centre of Lower Saxony (EFZN) is a joint scientific centre of the universities of Braunschweig, Clausthal, Göttingen, Hannover and Oldenburg. As a central research, networking and communication platform in Niedersachsen, it bundles the energy research expertise of the university locations from the natural and engineering sciences as well as the legal, social and economic sciences and brings together the stakeholders of the transformation.
About zukunft.niedersachsen
zukunft.niedersachsen (formerly “Niedersächsisches Vorab”) is a research programme of the Niedersachsen Ministry of Science and Culture and the Volkswagen Foundation. The bulk of zukunft.niedersachsen’s funding comes from the equivalent of the annual dividend on a nominal 30.2 million VW trust shares held by the State of Niedersachsen, which are subject to a profit transfer agreement with the Volkswagen Foundation. According to the statutes, the funds are to be allocated to scientific institutions in the state of Niedersachsen. To this end, the state government submits proposals for their use to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, usually in the summer and autumn. In addition, a one-off special dividend of €576.3 million was received from the IPO of Porsche AG in 2023. This amount will also be used for the zukunft.niedersachsen programme in the coming years. In 2023, a total of €510.5 million will be invested in research and science in Niedersachsen. Further information on zukunft.niedersachsen can be found at www.zukunft.niedersachsen.de.
