Germany has tightened its climate protection laws. The goal is for the Federal Republic to be climate-neutral by 2045. From the point of view of energy demand, global climate change and the stricter requirements derived from it are forcing the industry, transport and energy sectors in particular to rely on more sustainable non-fossil solutions in the future. Will the chemical element soon be at the top of the list not only in the periodic table, but also for our energy future? The potential is there: "Hydrogen can replace fossil fuels, drive sustainable mobility as a fuel, be converted into electricity and heat, and serve as a storage medium for electricity from renewable sources," says Dr. Wolfgang Breh, Managing Director at the KIT Energy Center, describing the many possibilities with hydrogen.

In the past, hydrogen may have been pushed into the background by economically more attractive energy carriers such as oil and natural gas, but taking climate policy into account, it is becoming increasingly important. The use of hydrogen as an energy carrier is nothing new. Not only in industry, but also at KIT, the chemical element has a history. "At KIT, we have been doing hydrogen research for a very long time. Be it the operation of the hydrogen bus in the 1980s at the then Nuclear Research Center, the electrical production of hydrogen, or the safety tests of the BMW 7 series hydrogen. We have a broad spectrum of research in the field of hydrogen. The research topic was and is omnipresent at KIT," says Breh.

Currently, different KIT institutes are significantly involved in three hydrogen lead projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to make a central contribution to the hydrogen strategy in Germany. In all three lead projects, KIT researchers work on different solutions together with partners from industry, science, and associations. "With the multifaceted hydrogen research at KIT, we cover the entire value chain, from production to transport to the application of green hydrogen," summarizes Dr. Thomas Walter Tromm, scientific spokesman of the KIT Energy Center.

 

The color theory of hydrogen

Green hydrogen

is produced in a chemical process (electrolysis) in which water is broken down into its components hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. Using renewable energy, the process is CO2-neutral.

Turquoise hydrogen

is produced in methane pyrolysis by splitting methane into hydrogen and solid carbon, which can be stored and reused later. Again, if renewable energy is used and the carbon is stored underground or used for long-life products, the process is carbon neutral.

Blue hydrogen

like gray hydrogen, is produced by steam reforming, with the difference that the resulting CO2 is subsequently stored underground. The form is therefore considered climate-neutral, but makes use of fossil raw materials.

Gray hydrogen

is produced by steam reforming fossil fuels. In chemical terms, the fossil fuel is split into hydrogen and carbon dioxide, which escapes into the atmosphere. The process is therefore not climate-neutral.

Pink hydrogen

is also produced by electrolysis, but the electricity comes from nuclear power plants. This type of hydrogen production is being pursued at the European level.

 

Related links:

• https://www.energie.kit.edu/index.php

 

Image: peterschreiber.media / iStock.com