Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films ISTAutomated stack assembly, climate-neutral production approaches and VR-supported electrolysis technology form the focus
Hydrogen of the future at first hand: German National Hydrogen Council pays a visit to Salzgitter
On Thursday, 27 November, a delegation from the German National Hydrogen Council visited the Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter. The National Hydrogen Council, which is comprised of 23 high-ranking experts from business, science and civil society, was appointed by the German government in June 2020 and acts as an independent, non-partisan advisory body. The visit provided an opportunity to present the activities, expertise and innovative strength of the Campus at a national level.
Following an official welcome by Michael Gensicke, Board Member of the Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter e. V., and Jan Erik Bohling, Economic Affairs Officer representing the City of Salzgitter, the guests were provided with an overview of the activities, research work and latest developments in hydrogen technology at the Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter. As a flagship project for the region, the Campus is an important building block in the energy transition in Germany.
The delegation was able to obtain an impression regarding modern production and testing infrastructures. They visited the automated stack-(dis)assembly line operated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, which is utilized within the framework of various research projects conducted by the TU Braunschweig and the Fraunhofer IST. The system is primarily deployed for research into innovative production methods for PEM fuel-cell stacks and PEM electrolysis stacks. It enables flexible dismantling of the stacks and supports the testing of industrial automation processes with the aim of increasing efficiency.
As part of the Wasserstoff Campus, Robert Bosch Elektronik GmbH demonstrated which technologies and strategic approaches support factory transformation. In 2024, for example, around 30 percent of the company’s own electricity requirements were already being covered by the 40,000 square meter photovoltaic system, the installation of which was completed in mid-2023. Furthermore, the site uses regional district heating from the Salzgitter AG steelworks and draws upon various energy storage solutions, such as cold storage and battery storage from recycled electric-vehicle batteries.
To conclude, the participants experienced a VR-based presentation on electrolysis technology at Everllence and Quest One, which interactively illustrated how electrolysis systems function, thereby bringing to life various innovative approaches to hydrogen production.
The visit not only underlined the central role that is being played by the Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter as a location for the research, development and industrial application of hydrogen technologies, but also promoted the exchange between science, business, politics and civil society.
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