New hydrogen centre: ITZ-West offers opportunities for investors in Duisburg

With the support of the BMDV and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (MWIKE), a test and inspection centre for components powered by gaseous hydrogen and intended for use in heavy-duty transport in particular is to be established at the Duisburg site. In an existing large industrial hall, laboratories, test benches and offices will be created on several thousand square metres using a room-in-room concept, in order to support companies, particularly those with large power ratings, in bringing their technologies and products to market.

To this end, a new company (‘TrHy – The Hydrogen Proving Area’) will be founded, which will provide the necessary development and testing environment with a focus on testing and certifying components, in addition to the hydrogen infrastructure.

‘With TrHy, we want to offer the industry a development environment that will enable it to position itself for international competition,’ explains project manager Joachim Jungsbluth. ‘In this way, we want to make a decisive contribution to Germany’s goal of becoming a technology leader in the field of hydrogen propulsion.’

TrHy is now inviting interested companies from industry and business to participate in the company or in individual activities, such as the operation of a certified testing laboratory, as direct or – within the framework of conceivable joint ventures – indirect investors. As part of the preparation of the application for funding, discussions are being held with investors and partners in order to optimally involve the industry.

In addition to the 110 industrial companies that have already signalled their interest and support in the first phase of the project via a letter of intent (LoI), other players who wish to become involved in this area will also be considered, provided they are suitably qualified. Companies interested in collaborating can contact info(at)trhy.center to receive further information.

‘We are now giving committed, forward-looking companies the opportunity to become an integral part of this exciting and important project,’ says Jungsbluth, looking forward to the discussions. This marks the next important phase for the stakeholders in Duisburg in making the ITZ West location, the ‘TrHy’, a reality.

The Innovation and Technology Centre for Hydrogen Technologies (ITZ H2) aims to support companies in their development activities by offering highly specialised testing and certification services that are not yet available on the free market in the required form. In addition, the ITZ H2 is intended to offer SMEs and start-ups a development environment in which to position themselves for international competition. The centre’s services are also intended to support international cooperation in setting standards and establishing certification processes. This is intended to make a decisive contribution to Germany’s goal of technological leadership.

ITZ-West – one of four ITZ H2 locations – is being developed in Duisburg under the brand name ‘TrHy – The Hydrogen Proving Area’. Under the leadership of the ZBT – The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Center, numerous institutions from the region are establishing ITZ-West as innovation partners.

The other ITZ H2 locations are Chemnitz, Pfeffenhausen (Bavaria) and ‘Nord’ with Bremen, Bremerhaven, Hamburg and Stade.

The ZBT – The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Center is one of Europe’s leading research institutions for fuel cells, hydrogen technologies and electrolysis. The ZBT is a sought-after research and development partner in cutting-edge European and national research and in industrial projects focusing on stationary energy generation and automotive applications. The approximately 180 employees at ZBT have access to an outstanding technical infrastructure, including test facilities, chemical laboratories, high-tech analytics and production facilities. State-of-the-art IT and software tools round off the portfolio.

Press Contact:
Henning Winter
Email: h.winter(at)zbt.de
Tel: 0203 7598-3346