Press releases, interviews and news

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  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Renner, Head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT, received the Innovation Award of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia 2024 in the "innovation" category for a novel production process for aerogels that is suitable for the mass market. On September 30, 2024, Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy and Deputy Prime Minister of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, presented Prof. Renner with the award at KOMED in Cologne. The innovation prize in this category is endowed with 100,000 euros.

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  • LCA / 2024

    Which is ecologically better: concrete or plastic pipes?

    Press release / September 26, 2024

    On behalf of the FBS (Federal Association of Concrete Sewer Systems), Fraunhofer UMSICHT prepared a life cycle assessment of the environmental impact of wastewater pipes made of (steel) concrete. This also functions as an association environmental product declaration (EPD-Environmental Product Declaration) and is publicly accessible via the ÖKOBAUDAT database. In addition, Fraunhofer UMSICHT compared the environmental impacts from the extraction of raw materials to the recycling of drainage systems made of (steel) concrete with pipelines made of plastic.

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  • Transformation / 2024

    Climate-neutral operation is being trialed in the enerPort II research project

    Press release / September 17, 2024

    Eröffnung des Duisburg Gateway Terminal
    © marco stepniak

    It is one of the most significant milestones in the more than 300-year history of the Port of Duisburg: Yesterday, Monday, the Duisburg Gateway Terminal (DGT) was officially opened on the former coal island. At 12:00 pm, North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst, Duisburg's Lord Mayor Sören Link, representatives of the four DGT shareholders duisport, HTS, Hupac and PSA as well as Fraunhofer UMSICHT pressed the symbolic start button in the presence of around 250 invited guests. The first construction phase has been completed and the DGT is now officially operational. Its climate-neutral operation is being trialed in the enerPort II research project.

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  • CO2 electrolysis / 2024

    Fraunhofer UMSICHT is working with the H2 Reallabor Burghausen

    Report / September 16, 2024

    Elektrolysestack
    © Fraunhofer UMSICHT/Mike Henning

    How can the chemical industry successfully transform itself into a sustainable industry? One answer is: by using hydrogen. Work is being done on appropriate solutions in the project “H2-Reallabor Burghausen – ChemDelta Bavaria”. Since July 2024, Fraunhofer UMSICHT has been supporting the subproject “CO2 Direct Electrolysis to Green Ethylene (CODE)”, which is based there. Specifically, the scientists are developing a novel reactor for the efficient conversion of carbon dioxide to ethylene.

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  • Medi van Rheinberg und Jana Rolshoven
    © Fraunhofer UMSICHT/Felix Homann

    Choosing the place and time of work depending on the respective task, personal situation and (of course) the legal and collective bargaining regulations – this has been possible at Fraunhofer UMSICHT since 2020 under the keyword "Flex Work". The corresponding company agreement has now been updated. In this interview, Medi van Rheinberg and Jana Rolshoven from our HR department reveal what has changed for employees and what experiences the institute has had with flexible working so far.

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  • Indoor Vertical Farming / 2024

    AI-controlled production of soft fruits using new sensor systems

    Press release / August 15, 2024

    Speziell abgestimmte Lichteinstellungen im Hinblick auf Wellenlänge, Intensität und Belichtungsdauer sowie kontrollierte Umgebungsbedingungen sollen die datenbasierte Indoor-Kultivierung von Erdbeeren ermöglichen.

    Obst- und Gemüse-Absatzgenossenschaft Nordbaden eG and Obstgroßmarkt Mittelbaden eG have commissioned Fraunhofer UMSICHT with the further development of a new cultivation method. The "inBerry" project, which has now been launched, focuses on a data-driven and year-round production method for indoor cultivation that is made even more efficient by the integration of innovative sensors. In collaboration with the technology provider vGreens Holding GmbH, a new production method for the sustainable vertical cultivation of special crops such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries can be created.

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  • EnAqua dialog / 2024

    Water for the energy transition – solution concepts in dialog with stakeholders

    Press release / August 12, 2024

    EnAqua-Dialog

    The energy transition is perceived positively by the majority of the population as a task for society as a whole. At the same time, there are challenges and potential for conflict within this transformation process. Some conflicts are directly visible, others are more latent but no less important for the success of the energy transition. When planning hydrogen hubs, for example, the conflicts over the use of water as a resource have not yet been recognized as a systemic challenge - and have therefore not been adequately addressed.

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  • Carbon management / 2024

    "Carbon Dioxide Capture and Utilization" (CCU) on the way to industrial implementation

    Press release / August 06, 2024

    Projektlogo Carbon2Chem

    Using CO2 from process gases in industries as a carbon source for the synthesis of chemical products – this was the goal of the Carbon2Chem® joint project launched in 2016. At the 7th hybrid conference on sustainable chemical conversion in the industries on 25 and 26 September, the researchers will present everything that has been achieved so far on the way to the industrial implementation of "Carbon Dioxide Capture and Utilization" (CCU) both on site in Berlin and online.

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  • © Fraunhofer UMSICHT

    Proton exchange membrane electrolysis is considered the most promising way to produce green hydrogen. However, it is still not very economical at the moment. One reason: One of its key components – the bipolar plate – is usually made of titanium. The metal impresses with its corrosion resistance during electrolysis, but is more expensive than other metals due to its complex extraction and processing. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT and Ruhr University Bochum have discovered that carbon-based bipolar plates can be a more cost-efficient and scalable alternative.

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  • © Fraunhofer UMSICHT

    In order to achieve its goal of decarbonizing raw material flows, the chemical industries must cover their carbon requirements from sustainable sources. The direct capture of CO2 from the air has hardly played a role so far – mainly due to the high investment and operating costs. The partners in the "Air2Chem" project want to change this: They are developing an integrated process that combines the "Direct Air Capture" process with electrolytic conversion of the green carbonate-containing absorber solution into platform raw materials for the chemical industries.

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