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Energy Storage; Energy Conversion; Energy Conditioning; Questions and
In the Cluster of Excellence Materials for Energy Conversion & Storage (MECS) researchers from the Vienna University of Technology, IST Austria, the University of Innsbruck and the University of Vienna develop new technologies for efficient energy conversion and storage, in order to pave the way for a climate-neutral society.The chemist Leticia González represents the University of Vienna on the Board of Directors.
"Our society suffers from the uncontrolled burning of fossil fuels already now," warns Leticia González from the Department of Theoretical Chemistry of the University of Vienna. The current climate disasters and inflation are just two examples of negative consequences that we can expect if we continue to rely on fossil fuels. "The aim of the new Cluster of Excellence is to suggest solutions to our current energy crisis," says González: "We are going to contribute to the development of new materials for climate-neutral energy conversion and storage with fundamental and applied research."
Researchers involved in the Cluster of Excellence Materials for Energy Conversion & Storage will develop nanocatalysts which are able to perform chemical reactions in a fast and climate-neutral way. They follow two innovative paths for energy conversion: electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. Electrocatalysis uses electricity from wind turbines and photovoltaic systems to electrochemically convert water and CO2 to hydrogen, synthetic fuels and fine chemicals. Photocatalysis uses sunlight directly for chemical conversions.
In this context, the storage of renewable energies in sustainable energy sources is essential. Water can be separated into hydrogen and oxygen; CO2 can be converted to useful products – including climate-neutral alternatives to natural gas and petroleum.
New chemical energy storage solutions
"We primarily want to develop electrocatalytic and photocatalytic active materials for the production of green hydrogen as well as climate-neutral chemicals and fuels. Furthermore, we aim to develop solutions for the storage of renewable energies in form of chemical compounds," explains González.
To accomplish this goal, the researchers combine subject-specific knowledge from different fields, including surface chemistry, surface physics, materials science and computer simulation.
"We urgently need a change of mentality and large investments, in order to produce renewable, clean energy!" Leticia González
What is the excellence initiative?
With the excellence initiative excellent=austria, Austria is opening a new chapter in basic research: Five clusters of excellence will launch cooperative projects at an unprecedented dimension at eleven locations from the summer of 2023 onwards. Researchers involved in the initiative have the opportunity to contribute outstanding research achievements in individual fields as well as in interdisciplinary areas and to firmly position this field of research at the highest international level in the long term in Austria. The University of Vienna is involved in all five Clusters of Excellence.
Interdisciplinarity and the education of young academics are priorities for the researchers involved in the cooperation between the Vienna University of Technology, IST Austria, the University of Innsbruck and the University of Vienna. "I find it very exciting to create synergies between chemistry and physics as well as between theory and experimenting," says González. The Cluster of Excellence is therefore the perfect instrument for building bridges and developing new interdisciplinary research strategies. "The joint education of the students involved in the cluster will be very important for our early stage researchers. Together with them, we want to explore academic paths that no one else has pursued before!"
Günther Rupprechter from the Vienna University of Technology is the project leader (Director of Research). Leticia González from the Faculty of Chemistry represents the University of Vienna on the Board of Directors. Furthermore, Jani Kotakoski, Georg Kresse, both from the Faculty of Physics, and Davide Bonifazi from the Faculty of Chemistry are involved in the Cluster as key researchers.
Board of Directors and participating research institutions
• Günther Rupprechter (Director of Research, Vienna University of Technology)• Ulrike Diebold (Vienna University of Technology)• Stefan Freunberger (IST Austria)• Leticia González (University of Vienna)• Julia Kunze-Liebhäuser (University of Innsbruck)
Austrian Science Fund (FWF) funding amount: 20.6 million euros
Leticia Gonzálezis the Head of the Department of Theoretical Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Vienna. Her research currently focuses on the use of high-precision electronic structuring methods and the development of methods in molecular reaction dynamics with a focus on the description of light-induced chemical processes. The combination of these two areas enables a fundamental understanding of chemical processes and structure-function relationships as well as quantitative predictions for molecules, biological systems and materials.Further information about the research of Leticia González.
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In the lead project "Underground Sun Storage 2030" (USS 2030), the safe, seasonal and large-scale storage of renewable energy in the form of hydrogen in underground gas reservoirs is being developed. In addition, all partners involved in the project will jointly gain valuable technical and economic knowledge for the development of a secure hydrogen supply.
"Innovative storage of renewable energy will play an important role on the path to climate neutrality by 2040. Climate-friendly innovations are an important tool for more climate protection overall. We support Austrian innovations that contribute to this goal and will be especially important in industry and in parts of heavy goods and air traffic," says Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler.
Theresia Vogel, Managing Director of the Climate and Energy Fund: "Hydrogen is currently a very dynamic global research field. With WIVA P&G and the project management by RAG Austria AG, we have strong partners when it comes to advancing green hydrogen applications through innovation - so every funding euro is multiplied."
"Hydrogen is the missing piece of the puzzle for a completely CO2-neutral energy system: it can be produced in a climate-neutral way, used directly in industry, produce environmentally friendly heat and electricity, and represent a fuel of the future. But the decisive factor is its large-scale storage and transportability in the existing almost invisible gas infrastructure. Only in this way will we have sufficient and, above all, demand-oriented green energy available even in times of low sun and low wind," says RAG CEO Markus Mitteregger, emphasising the importance of energy storage in geological gas reservoirs and its distribution.
The predecessor projects "Underground Sun Storage" and "Underground Sun Conversion" have already demonstrated that a hydrogen content of up to 20% can be stored in natural gas reservoirs in a well-tolerated manner. Laboratory tests suggest that the hydrogen content can also be increased to 100%.
Building on this, the project "Underground Sun Storage 2030" is now moving to the real scale and - under the leadership of RAG Austria AG - is investigating the storage of pure hydrogen, generated from solar and wind energy, in former natural gas reservoirs as part of a field trial. Together with renowned partners from industry and the Austrian research community, the project is also investigating other aspects related to stored hydrogen. This includes, for example:
Project manager RAG Stephan Bauer: "The challenge of a secure power supply in winter becomes even more obvious as the electrification of the heating sector increases."
It can be assumed that this power shortfall cannot always be easily covered by imports, as Austria''s neighbouring countries are facing similar challenges. Energy must therefore be stored in large quantities (on the scale of several TWh) in summer so that sufficient green energy is available for electricity, heat and mobility in winter. Storable gaseous energy carriers, such as hydrogen, are an outstandingly suitable technology for covering this annual storage demand. For a rapid and realistic conversion to a climate-neutral energy supply, it is therefore necessary to convert surplus solar and wind power into gaseous energy carriers such as hydrogen that can be stored in large volumes and seasonally.
The worldwide unique project "Underground Sun Storage 2030" will provide valuable insights into the seasonal storability of renewable energy in the form of hydrogen, not least due to the field test. It is part of the energy showcase region WIVA P&G and an important step for the development of a secure hydrogen economy. The use of underground gas storage for hydrogen storage is also included in the Long-Term Strategy 2050 – Austria according to Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Governance System for the Energy Union and Climate Change. The project is funded under the Energy Research Program of the Climate and Energy Fund.
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