Transatlantic Research Alliance for Sustainable Hydrogen Technologies
In the German-Canadian joint project HYER, researchers from the Centre for Energy Technology (ZET) at the University of Bayreuth have been working together with partners from academia and industry since 2022 to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production. At the end of March, ZET, in collaboration with the Future Energy Lab Wunsiedel, will host a Canadian delegation that will meet with researchers in Bayreuth to strengthen transatlantic relations in the fields of energy and hydrogen.
Over the past 54 years, numerous successful collaborations have been established through scientific and technological cooperation between Germany and Canada. Researchers at the Centre for Energy Technology (ZET) at the University of Bayreuth are actively engaged in this international partnership through the German-Canadian HYER project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The focus is on green hydrogen. Together with Canadian partners Pulsenics, Inc., the University of Victoria, the National Research Council Canada, and Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, as well as the German industry partner SEGULA Technologies GmbH, they are developing innovative models to enhance the efficiency of electrolysis systems.
Cost-Effective Production of Green Hydrogen
Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis systems are commonly used to produce hydrogen from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. These systems can operate very dynamically, making them ideal for integration with photovoltaic and wind energy plants. However, this dynamic operation can accelerate the ageing of electrolysis cells, which are assembled into electrolysis stacks that split water into hydrogen and oxygen. As a result, efficiency and lifespan decrease, meaning that more energy is required to produce the same amount of hydrogen, and the stacks need to be replaced more frequently during the overall lifespan of the plant.
A key objective of the HYER project is therefore to develop models that predict the ageing of electrolysis cells based on operating conditions. These models can then be used to optimise operating strategies for the most cost-efficient hydrogen production possible. In a recent study published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, ZET researchers have already demonstrated the potential savings achievable through such optimisation using a basic ageing model.
The HYER project is developing novel ageing models using machine learning (ML) techniques to enable more accurate predictions of performance and lifespan depending on operational conditions, ultimately reducing the cost of green hydrogen production. Petros Polykarpoulos, a research associate at ZET and project member, has initially simulated and analysed dynamic operation under various scenarios, such as direct coupling between wind energy and electrolysis plants. Based on these findings, he is currently working with project partners to develop test protocols that will accelerate the ageing process of stacks on test benches. This will help collect the operational data needed for the ongoing development of predictive models.
Expanding Cooperation with Canada
How did the German-Canadian HYER project come about? Dr.-Ing. Matthias Welzl, Academic Councillor at the Centre for Energy Technology and the German project coordinator, provided insights during a presentation at the Research and Innovation in Canada InfoDay organised by the Bavarian Research Alliance in Munich in December 2023:
"When the joint funding call for German-Canadian cooperation projects on green hydrogen was launched by the BMBF and the National Research Council Canada (NRC), an Information and Partnering Event was organised in November 2021. I took the opportunity to present hydrogen research at the University of Bayreuth and our project interests. During the subsequent virtual matchmaking meetings, I met Mariam Awara from the Canadian start-up Pulsenics. We quickly realised that our interests aligned perfectly, and the idea for the HYER project was born. After identifying additional partners, refining the concept in numerous meetings, and successfully navigating the application process, HYER officially launched in November 2022."
Since then, cooperation with Canadian partners has steadily expanded. The first Canadian trip in 2023 for the HYER kick-off workshop provided numerous opportunities for in-depth exchanges between industry and academia. "In addition to gaining a better understanding of our Canadian project partners' impressive research activities and facilities, we also gained insights into leading Canadian companies in the hydrogen technology sector," explains Dr Welzl.
HYER Kick-Off Workshop at Pulsenics, Inc. in Toronto, April 2023.
Pulsenics, Inc.
"A particular highlight was our visit to the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria in Montréal. The existing cooperation between Bavaria and Québec further strengthens scientific exchange with Canada." Thanks to funding from the Free State of Bavaria under the Regional Leaders Summit (RLS)-Sciences/Bavaria-Québec mobility programme, Dr Welzl was able to attend the RLS-Sciences Conference in Québec in September 2024, followed by the bilateral Bavaria-Québec programme.
In addition to presenting the HYER project, he contributed to the Conference on the Intersectorality of Research Teams and Links with Industry: Québec Examples and International Comparisons of Partner Regions. His presentation, ZET Future Energy Lab Wunsiedel – From a Research Project to a Novel Research Institute, illustrated how a research initiative at the University of Bayreuth evolved into a newly established research institution, serving as an example of interdisciplinary research and collaboration with industry and local stakeholders. The subsequent panel discussion provided an opportunity for intensive exchanges on university-industry collaboration, intersectoral cooperation, and strategies for strengthening these partnerships.
HYER Project Team in Front of PEM Electrolysis Stacks at the Energy Park Wunsiedel, May 2024.
Zentrum für Energietechnik (ZET)
During the second HYER project meeting in May 2024, Canadian partners also had the opportunity to experience hydrogen research at the University of Bayreuth firsthand. In addition to project discussions, a guided tour of the Energy Park Wunsiedel highlighted progress in the ZET Living Lab Energy Future Wunsiedel research project. A joint workshop with project partners from the Victorian Hydrogen Hub (VH2) at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne provided a global perspective on hydrogen, spanning from Canada to Bayreuth and Australia.
The Two HYER Project Coordinators, Mariam Awara (COO of Pulsenics, Inc.) and Dr.-Ing. Matthias Welzl, in Front of the Electrolysis Plant at the Energy Park Wunsiedel, May 2024.
Zentrum für Energietechnik (ZET)
Dr Welzl outlines his goals for the coming months: "We aim to expand our cooperation further. That is why I am very much looking forward to welcoming a large Canadian delegation at the end of March as part of the Transatlantic Dialogue – Exchange of Canadian and German Regions to Establish and Expand Hydrogen Hubs, organised by the German-Canadian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Canada). Additionally, our next HYER project meeting in May will take place in Mississauga and Montréal, where we plan to present our latest HYER project results at the 247th ECS Meeting together with our partners from the University of Victoria."