The state-of-the-art HyTechLab4NRW was officially opened at the ZBT in Duisburg. Secretary of State Silke Krebs from the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs emphasised the significance of the laboratory for North Rhine-Westphalia during the ceremony: “Hydrogen is a growth market, and especially crucial for NRW as an industrial location. We need new technologies and research to shape this future. The expectations are high, but so is the support. We look forward to many innovations that will emerge here.”
More Power for Research
The HyTechLab4NRW has been brought up to the latest technical standards as part of extensive renovations. In particular, the infrastructure and media supply of the main laboratory have been modernised. This opens up new opportunities for research and development of fuel cells, system components, and system-related plants in larger performance ranges—especially for applications in mobility and energy supply. ZBT Managing Director Dr. Peter Beckhaus expressed his enthusiasm: “Here we can develop and test high-performance systems in the future. This offers enormous opportunities for the industry.”
During the opening ceremony, Prof. Harry Hoster, Scientific Director of the ZBT, illustrated the work in the laboratory by demonstrating the catalyst loading of the gas diffusion layer in fuel cells and electrolysis cells. His humorous remark, “There must be beaches everywhere,” certainly left a lasting impression on those present.
Bernd Oberschachtsiek, Operations Manager of the ZBT, who played a key role in the laboratory renovation, was also relieved: “Our temporary setup was the ugliest container in the world. Now we finally have a fully equipped laboratory that is not only technically up to date but also visually appealing.” The new laboratory environment will enable the fulfilment of numerous inquiries from the industry and advance further research projects.
Gain for Research Infrastructure
Prof. Dr. Astrid Westendorf, Pro-Rector for Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen, highlighted the importance of the new laboratory for the academic landscape: “This is a true gain for our research infrastructure. The HyTechLab4NRW will elevate scientific work at an associated institute of our university to a new level.”
Prof. Dr. Dieter Bathen, a board member of the Johannes Rau Research Association (JRF), also emphasised the added value of the project for the research community: “This type of infrastructure provides an excellent foundation for scientific collaboration among our member institutes and will make a significant contribution to the advancement of hydrogen technology.”
Laboratory Tour
After the opening speeches, guests had the opportunity to tour the new laboratory and learn about ongoing research projects at information stands. Many were particularly impressed by the new possibilities that the HyTechLab4NRW offers in terms of high-performance fuel cell stacks and systems, which can now also be tested in performance ranges up to the megawatt level.
The HyTechLab4NRW is funded as part of the “Research Infrastructures NRW” initiative and with resources from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The investments in the new infrastructure not only strengthen the role of the ZBT but also enhance the innovative capacity of the entire region.
The opening was reported by several outlets, including WDR Lokalzeit Duisburg and STUDIO 47. In their reports, ZBT Managing Director Dr. Peter Beckhaus and Scientific Director Prof. Harry Hoster explained the new opportunities for hydrogen research in Duisburg. Beckhaus emphasised to the local television broadcaster: “Today we are talking about fuel cell drives for ships, aircraft, and lorries, with outputs ranging from 300 kW to the megawatt range. To further explore these applications, we have now created the suitable infrastructure.”
