The ZAL Centre for Applied Aeronautical Research is expanding its hydrogen research with a pro rata funding amount of 12 million euros and is starting its first collaboration with the shipping industry to jointly advance hydrogen applications. The funding organisation is the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs (BMDV).
The BMDV is providing 69.8 million euros in funding for the implementation of a North German Hanseatic Hydrogen Centre for Aviation and Maritime (H2AM), which will promote hydrogen and fuel cell research in aviation and shipping at the three locations of Hamburg, Stade and Bremen/Bremerhaven. The project is being implemented as part of the ‘Guideline for the promotion of projects in the course of establishing a decentralised hydrogen innovation and technology centre’. Funding for this measure will also be provided as part of the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP) via the European Recovery and Resilience Facilities (ARF) in the NextGenerationEU programme. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ). Project responsibility for the Hamburg topics lies with ZAL GmbH and the Fraunhofer Centre for Maritime Logistics and Services (CML).
The ZAL Centre for Applied Aeronautical Research is using the funding to expand its in-house Fuel Cell Lab. On the one hand, a liquefier for hydrogen is to be provided in future. Secondly, two test chambers are to be built: one for altitude simulation and one for cryogenic applications with liquid hydrogen at -253°C. The facility addresses stakeholders with activities in hydrogen research and development. In the spirit of H2AM, support is to be provided in particular in the areas of testing and certification, which are currently still lacking on the market, as well as international cooperation to set standards. To this end, ZAL offers start-ups, SMEs, industry and research partners an ideal development environment to position themselves for international competition.
A novelty for ZAL is the future cooperation with the shipping industry. The Fraunhofer CML, another recipient of H2AM funding, will move into a laboratory in the ZAL Fuel Cell Lab for this purpose. Future joint research will focus on the topics of system integration, infrastructure, refuelling and the reliability and safety of hydrogen applications. To this end, existing knowledge carriers at ZAL will be newly linked with each other, external partners will be acquired and new ones established. The already strong network of hydrogen players in Hamburg will gain additional momentum. ZAL and CML expect the collaboration to generate major synergy effects that will bring aviation and shipping closer to their cross-industry goal of emission-reduced mobility.
Roland Gerhards, Managing Director, ZAL Centre of Applied Aeronautical Research: ‘The expansion of our existing hydrogen infrastructure and the new collaboration between aviation and shipping are an important step towards emission-free mobility. With a liquefier and two test chambers, we are strengthening the research base and creating new opportunities for existing and future hydrogen players.’
via ZAL
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)