Institute for Sustainable Hydrogen Economy (INW)

When water is split into its components hydrogen and oxygen, hydrogen can be used as an energy carrier. The energy is retrieved when hydrogen and oxygen are subsequently brought back together.

This is the INW

The Institute for Sustainable Hydrogen Economy (INW) of Forschungszentrum Jülich is the continuity-providing core of the Helmholtz Cluster for Sustainable and Infrastructure-Compatible Hydrogen Economy (HC-H2). It is the youngest institute in Jülich and is currently growing. Unlike the other institutes, it is not being built on the campus, but in the Brainergy Park in Jülich, an inter-communal and innovative business park. The location reflects Forschungszentrum Jülich's self-image of playing an important role in the midst of structural change. Basic research on the topic of the hydrogen economy takes place at INW. At the same time, cooperation with partners from research, universities, industry and business is coordinated from here. The HC-H2 brings together the INW's cooperation with project partners from science, academia and industry.

The HC-H2 combines the cooperation of the INW with the project partners from science, education and industry. The aim of the HC-H2 is to bring the basic research done at the INW into application with the help of the partners. We are working towards creating new jobs in the HC-H2's wake, establishing companies in the Rhenish mining area, creating start-ups or spin-offs and working with us towards the great goal of making hydrogen a major energy carrier of the future.

Founding Director INW: Prof. Dr. Peter Wasserscheid

Head of Department INW-I: Dr. Susanne Spörler

Establishment of a Helmholtz cluster for sustainable and infrastructure-compatible hydrogen economy at the Research Centre Jülich, including the establishment of research utilisation chains.

This is what it says in Germany’s "Structural Strengthening Act for Coal Regions", which was passed in 2020. The aim of the Structural Strengthening Act is to create new jobs in promising and climate-friendly sectors and industries where jobs are being lost because Germany is phasing out lignite as an energy source. That is precisely our mission. In the middle of the Rhenish mining area, the largest of the five lignite mining areas in Germany.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia are funding the Helmholtz Cluster for a Sustainable and Infrastructure-Compatible Hydrogen Economy (HC-H2) until 2038 with 860 million euros. Spread over the next 16 years, the 860 million euros will flow both into the establishment of the Institute for Sustainable Hydrogen Economy (INW) of the Research Centre Jülich and into the HC-H2. The INW is currently in a ramp-up phase and will consist of four institute areas by the end of 2023. The institute areas focus on the different development stages of new technologies, starting with basic research and laboratory scale up to the ready-to-operate system. The INW is expected to have around 400 employees in 2025 and will continue to grow thereafter.

Focus of our Research

Systemscale (INW-4)

The scientific work in area 4 "System scale" of the INW is concerned with linking the hydrogen conversion units with the surrounding application-specific aggregates to form an optimized system. Depending on the application, the system under consideration may be, for example, a storage system (combination of electrolysis, conditioning hydrogen/storage material, hydrogenation reaction) or a hydrogen supply system (combination of dehydrogenation reaction, hydrogen purification and hydrogen compression).

Nanoscale (INW-1)

In area 1 "Nanoscale" of INW, the focus is on the elementary processes on the catalyst surface during the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of hydrogen storage molecules. In addition to the highest possible productivity and efficiency, the main aim here is to maximize selectivity in the storage cycle in order to avoid hydrogen losses and degradation of the storage molecules and to further reduce the costs of hydrogen storage.

Mesoscale (INW-2)

In area 2 "Mesoscale" of the INW, the focus is on the packaging of the catalytically active centers in a suitable catalyst pellet or catalytically active shaped body, e.g. to enable the use of the corresponding materials in large-scale plants. The area investigates and optimizes the complex interplay of mass transport, heat transport and catalytic reaction at catalyst pellet level.

Reactorscale (INW-3)

INW's Area 3 "Reactor Scale" deals with the scale of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation apparatuses. In this area, there is still enormous potential to increase volumetric productivity by optimizing heat management and hydrodynamics, which is especially critical for success in all applications with high power density requirements.

Systemscale (INW-4)

The scientific work in area 4 "System scale" of the INW is concerned with linking the hydrogen conversion units with the surrounding application-specific aggregates to form an optimized system. Depending on the application, the system under consideration may be, for example, a storage system (combination of electrolysis, conditioning hydrogen/storage material, hydrogenation reaction) or a hydrogen supply system (combination of dehydrogenation reaction, hydrogen purification and hydrogen compression).

Nanoscale (INW-1)

In area 1 "Nanoscale" of INW, the focus is on the elementary processes on the catalyst surface during the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of hydrogen storage molecules. In addition to the highest possible productivity and efficiency, the main aim here is to maximize selectivity in the storage cycle in order to avoid hydrogen losses and degradation of the storage molecules and to further reduce the costs of hydrogen storage.

Mesoscale (INW-2)

In area 2 "Mesoscale" of the INW, the focus is on the packaging of the catalytically active centers in a suitable catalyst pellet or catalytically active shaped body, e.g. to enable the use of the corresponding materials in large-scale plants. The area investigates and optimizes the complex interplay of mass transport, heat transport and catalytic reaction at catalyst pellet level.

Reactorscale (INW-3)

INW's Area 3 "Reactor Scale" deals with the scale of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation apparatuses. In this area, there is still enormous potential to increase volumetric productivity by optimizing heat management and hydrodynamics, which is especially critical for success in all applications with high power density requirements.

Systemscale (INW-4)

The scientific work in area 4 "System scale" of the INW is concerned with linking the hydrogen conversion units with the surrounding application-specific aggregates to form an optimized system. Depending on the application, the system under consideration may be, for example, a storage system (combination of electrolysis, conditioning hydrogen/storage material, hydrogenation reaction) or a hydrogen supply system (combination of dehydrogenation reaction, hydrogen purification and hydrogen compression).

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