Review: H2Giga project meeting in Munich

The project meeting for H2Giga took place on 23 and 24 January 2024 in Pullach near Munich and at the Technical University of Munich. This biannual event brings together researchers from TU Dresden, representatives from TU Munich, the Fraunhofer Institute, the HZDR (Helmholtz Centre Dresden-Rossendorf) and the companies ITM Power, Linde Engineering and Linde Gas to discuss the current status of the project. 

H2Giga brings together three hydrogen flagship projects which, with the support of the BMBF, are making a key contribution to the implementation of the German government's National Hydrogen Strategy. Together, they represent the most comprehensive funding initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in the context of the energy transition and provide a significant impetus for Germany's entry into the hydrogen economy.

Each of the working groups gave a 15-minute presentation at this project meeting, followed by an open discussion with all participants, during which questions could be answered, ideas exchanged and important impetus provided.

This meeting in January focussed on the development of SINEWAVE. SINEWAVE is a sub-project of H2Giga in which the researchers are working on identifying and evaluating new potential applications for PEM electrolysers and the resulting requirements. This includes integration into extensive "Power-to-X" processes, such as ammonia and methanol synthesis, in which green hydrogen is used to replace fossil fuels as feedstock. This time, the focus was on how the cooling cycle of PEM electrolysis could be further optimised. 

The OXYSEPT project was also discussed. This is a sub-project of SINEWAVE, in which the two-phase flows that form in the anode circuit are to be investigated. The Chair of Energy Process Engineering at TU Dresden is involved in OXYSEPT by investigating the heat transfer and bubble behaviour in a plate heat exchanger with two-phase flow (water and O2) from the ultrapure water periphery of PEM electrolysis.

The next meeting of the H2Giga lead projects will take place in autumn 2024 and we look forward to participating again next time.