“Green” Hydrogen Made In Africa

Africa as a successful producer and exporter of sustainably produced hydrogen for a climate-neutral energy supply of the future: that is the idea behind the “H2Atlas-Africa” ​​project. The central goal is to identify locations in the west and south of the continent that are particularly suitable for the production of hydrogen using renewable energies. Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Rachel will give the official go-ahead tomorrow, Wednesday, for the project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with around 5.7 million euros. The coordinator is Dr. Solomon Nwabueze Agbo from Forschungszentrum Jülich.

Jointly launched the project for “green” hydrogen made in Africa: (from left) Prof. Harry Vereecken (Director of the Institute for Bio and Earth Sciences, Agrosphere), Dr. Solomon Agbo (project coordinator), Dr. Heidi Heinrichs (Institute for Energy and Climate Research, Techno-Economic Systems Analysis), Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Rachel, Chairman of the Board Prof. Wolfgang Marquardt, Prof. Detlef Stolten (Director Institute for Energy and Climate Research, Techno-Economic Systems Analysis), Dr. Wilhelm Kuckshinrichs (Head of the Institute for Energy and Climate Research, Systems Research and Technological Development) and Prof. Uwe Rau (Institute for Energy and Climate Research, Photovoltaics).
Copyright:  Research Center Juelich / Ralf-Uwe Limbach

Video statements for the start of the “H2Atlas-Africa” ​​project

“Africa is a continent with a rapidly growing population and increasing energy requirements. We can only master the challenges of climate change and a sustainable, climate-neutral and secure energy supply in Africa and Europe together. Countries in West and South Africa offer enormous potential for renewable energies hydrogen can be produced sustainably, which we need for the energy transition, “explains State Secretary for Research Thomas Rachel MdB. The National Hydrogen Strategy, which the Federal Government is launching in the cabinet on Wednesday, shows the important role hydrogen will play in the energy system of the future. For example, hydrogen should replace fossil fuels on a large scale, serve as storage for renewable energies,

“At the Research Center Jülich, we set the course for research on green hydrogen as the basis for a sustainable energy industry a few years ago,” explains Wolfgang Marquardt, CEO of the Research Center. “Jülich’s hydrogen research ranges from the basics to technologies for the production, storage and use of hydrogen in new fields of application in mobility, energy management and industrial production. The central question is how green hydrogen can be produced in large quantities and how can be transported over long distances and in large quantities using existing infrastructures and further processed into synthetic fuels and industrial chemicals using Power-to-X technologies. “

Hydrogen as the basis of a sustainable energy industry, obtained through the electrolysis of water using renewable energies: In the picture, a stack combination based on polymer electrolyte membranes for the characterization in the electrolysis test stand.
Copyright:  Research Center Juelich / Ralf-Uwe Limbach

The most important partners on the African side are the two centers for climate research in Ghana (West African Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use, WASCAL) and in Namibia (Southern Africa Science Center for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management, SASSCAL). Together with researchers, engineers and technicians on site, potential locations for plants with which renewable energies – for example from photovoltaics – can be generated and thus combined with electrolysers can be obtained in the next two years are to be determined. Scientific, technological and economic aspects are taken into account, as is environmental protection, climate change and social components. For example, no agricultural land and water resources may be used,

The results of the “H2Atlas-Africa” ​​project can be used in a variety of ways: as an orientation aid for the construction of pilot plants and as a roadmap for the establishment of a green hydrogen economy in sub-Saharan Africa, which is used by politicians and potential investors. On the scientific side, a close exchange of researchers and students is planned, supplemented by workshops and graduate school programs that WASCAL, RWTH Aachen and Forschungszentrum Jülich organize together.

Jointly launched the project for “green” hydrogen made in Africa: (from left) Prof. Harry Vereecken (Director of the Institute for Bio and Earth Sciences, Agrosphere), Dr. Solomon Agbo (project coordinator), Dr. Heidi Heinrichs (Institute for Energy and Climate Research, Techno-Economic Systems Analysis), Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Rachel, Chairman of the Board Prof. Wolfgang Marquardt, Prof. Detlef Stolten (Director Institute for Energy and Climate Research, Techno-Economic Systems Analysis), Dr. Wilhelm Kuckshinrichs (Head of the Institute for Energy and Climate Research, Systems Research and Technological Development) and Prof. Uwe Rau (Institute for Energy and Climate Research, Photovoltaics).
Copyright:  Research Center Juelich / Ralf-Uwe Limbach

“Africa is a continent with a rapidly growing population and increasing energy requirements. We can only master the challenges of climate change and a sustainable, climate-neutral and secure energy supply in Africa and Europe together. Countries in West and South Africa offer enormous potential for renewable energies hydrogen can be produced sustainably, which we need for the energy transition, “explains State Secretary for Research Thomas Rachel MdB. The National Hydrogen Strategy, which the Federal Government is launching in the cabinet on Wednesday, shows the important role hydrogen will play in the energy system of the future. For example, hydrogen should replace fossil fuels on a large scale, serve as storage for renewable energies,

“At the Research Center Jülich, we set the course for research on green hydrogen as the basis for a sustainable energy industry a few years ago,” explains Wolfgang Marquardt, CEO of the Research Center. “Jülich’s hydrogen research ranges from the basics to technologies for the production, storage and use of hydrogen in new fields of application in mobility, energy management and industrial production. The central question is how green hydrogen can be produced in large quantities and how can be transported over long distances and in large quantities using existing infrastructures and further processed into synthetic fuels and industrial chemicals using Power-to-X technologies. “

Hydrogen as the basis of a sustainable energy industry, obtained through the electrolysis of water using renewable energies: In the picture, a stack combination based on polymer electrolyte membranes for the characterization in the electrolysis test stand.
Copyright:  Research Center Juelich / Ralf-Uwe Limbach

The most important partners on the African side are the two centers for climate research in Ghana (West African Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use, WASCAL) and in Namibia (Southern Africa Science Center for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management, SASSCAL). Together with researchers, engineers and technicians on site, potential locations for plants with which renewable energies – for example from photovoltaics – can be generated and thus combined with electrolysers can be obtained in the next two years are to be determined. Scientific, technological and economic aspects are taken into account, as is environmental protection, climate change and social components. For example, no agricultural land and water resources may be used,

The results of the “H2Atlas-Africa” ​​project can be used in a variety of ways: as an orientation aid for the construction of pilot plants and as a roadmap for the establishment of a green hydrogen economy in sub-Saharan Africa, which is used by politicians and potential investors. On the scientific side, a close exchange of researchers and students is planned, supplemented by workshops and graduate school programs that WASCAL, RWTH Aachen and Forschungszentrum Jülich organize together.

Read more: https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/UK/DE/2020/2020-06-08-wasserstoff.html