Press releases

The energy transition is a supporting pillar of structural change and requires a rethinking in many areas. In order to ensure that successful economic ecosystems can grow in an increasingly dynamic and volatile environment, coordinated, adaptable solutions are needed at the interface of the energy and materials industries. This is precisely where the Performance Center DYNAFLEX® takes part and develops sustainable solutions with the direction of Fraunhofer UMSICHT. A pilot site is currently being built in Bad Langensalza, which will serve as a pioneer for cross-industrial networks and open up new value chains.

Microplastics and plastics are widespread in the environment. However, it is still largely unknown where the small particles and fibres come from and what effects they have on freshwater systems. This is why the LimnoPlast project was launched on 1st November, in which 13 European project partners cooperate within the topic. The project is funded by the EU from the Horizon 2020 program for four years with almost 4.1 million euros and offers doctoral students an interesting working environment.

The efficient recycling of recyclable materials can make significant positive contributions by tackling resource use and consequently addressing climate change. This is confirmed by the presented study ‘resources SAVED by recycling’, which was prepared by Fraunhofer UMSICHT on behalf of the ALBA Group. According to the study, the ALBA Group reduced climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions by 4.4 million metric tons in 2018 through recycling 5.6 million metric tons of recyclable materials. This corresponds to the climate protection effect of a mixed forest measuring over 441,000 hectares, equivalent to an area almost twice the size of the Saarland. What’s more, recycling saved 31.9 million metric tons of resources such as ores, coal and wood compared with what would otherwise be derived from primary production.

Climate protection is one of the major challenges of our time. It is becoming increasingly clear that a substantial transformation of industrial value chains and production processes is needed in order to meet the climate protection targets of the Paris Agreement. Carbon-neutral hydrogen will play a decisive role in this transformation: the discussion paper published jointly by industrial stakeholders and scientists shows the crucial relevance of hydrogen for the energy transition, outlines the challenges associated with the development of the necessary infrastructure and also addresses policymakers by providing clear recommendations for action.

As plastics production continues to grow globally, topics such as »microplastics« and »plastics in the environment« are becoming increasingly relevant and are part of social and political debates. Usually the focus of the discussions is on plastic pollution of aquatic ecosystems, whereas the pollution of soil ecosystems is often neglected. This raises the question of whether plastic pollution of soils and fields can have similar effects as in limnetic and marine ecosystems. In the »iMulch« project, funded by the EU and the German federate state North Rhine-Westphalia, scientists are developing new measuring methods to analyse the effects of plastics (micro and macro plastics) on soils and drainage waters.

The proportion of the urban population is growing steadily and thus the challenge of a sustainable food supply. In future, German and Japanese researchers want to cooperate more closely in the development of new technologies for urban horticulture.