Hydrogen: Small Molecules, Big Potential

Offshore conditions are ideal for low-cost, sustainable production of both electricity and hydrogen. The H₂Mare flagship project is studying offshore generation of green hydrogen with completely new types of facilities — offshore wind turbines with integrated electrolyzers for direct conversion of electrical current.

In the H₂Giga flagship project, Fraunhofer institutes are moving existing electrolysis technologies and methods into series production. The goal of the German National Hydrogen Strategy is to build at least 10 gigawatts of electrolysis capacity by 2030. This calls for scalable electrolyzers.

In the H₂ Companion project, Fraunhofer institutes are building and testing electrolysis capacity in two green hydrogen model regions in Baden-Württemberg, among other activities. Monitoring is being done to track the development of electrolysis technologies from a scientific, technical and economic standpoint.

Germany’s climate goals require that huge electrolyzer capacity be built. The SkalPro project is working to develop and test a manufacturing route that makes it possible to produce highly active electrodes for alkaline water electrolysis in large quantities and at low cost. Areas of focus include scalable production, process steps that conserve raw materials and highly active electrodes with long-term stability.

Hydrogen generated with the power of the sun could largely replace fossil fuels in the future, helping to lower carbon emissions. In the Neo-PEC joint research project, Fraunhofer specialists have developed a tandem module that is self-sufficient and reliable at producing solar-generated green hydrogen

In the OffsH2ore project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has worked with partners to create a technical concept and design for an H₂ generation system optimized for use offshore. The results show that generating hydrogen directly at sea with a PEM electrolyzer is feasible both technologically and economically.

The research sector and industry see great potential in alkaline AEM electrolysis. The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Applied Materials Research IFAM and electrolyzer manufacturer Sunfire are testing this promising technology on an industrial scale in the Integrate project.

Developing a storage and transportation infrastructure is essential if we are to ramp up a hydrogen economy. The TransHyDE hydrogen flagship project is devising solutions for what efficient and resilient hydrogen infrastructure should be like.

How can Germany continue to meet its energy requirements in the future by importing green hydrogen? In the HyPat project, Fraunhofer institutes are working with partners on a global hydrogen atlas that provides an overview of future production and import countries, taking techno-economic, social and economic features into account.

The HYPOS consortium uses excess energy from solar panels and wind farms for electrolysis to generate green hydrogen on a large technical scale for applications in energy technology and to minimize the power supply’s dependence on weather conditions.

The Hydrogen for Bremen’s Industrial Transformation (hyBit) project focuses on building hydrogen centers in northern Germany. These kinds of hydrogen hubs combine generation, processing, delivery, storage and final use of hydrogen.

In addition to storing hydrogen in tanks or pipes, geological formations also offer possibilities. Whether these options meet the stringent technological safety requirements that apply and how they are used within the infrastructure chain is the subject of the H₂-Sponge research project.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC is developing a spherical high-pressure tank for use in storing hydrogen. In contrast to cylindrical tanks, this design unlocks considerable savings in terms of materials, weight and costs. The tank, which is made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastics, uses methods that can be automated. An integrated hydrogen diffusion barrier optimizes performance and sustainability, while the fibers can be recycled after use.

In the steel industry, emissions of CO₂ during raw steel production can be reduced through the use of hydrogen in a direct reduction process by up to 95 percent compared to the present-day blast furnace method. Researchers have demonstrated this in the MACOR project in cooperation with Salzgitter AG.

Many areas of the world offer good conditions for the production of green hydrogen, along with synthetic fuels produced from renewable sources. The first global power-to-X atlas from the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology IEE shows details of how much potential lies where.

In the coming years, South Africa could play a key role as a producer of green hydrogen. The HySecunda joint research project aims to find solutions for producing, storing and certifying green hydrogen. To this end, the researchers are developing infrastructure along with practical and scalable solutions for green hydrogen production in South Africa.

When it comes to building and expanding power-to-hydrogen facilities, location is crucial, as local conditions have an outsized influence on economic and environmental potential. The online atlas developed in the PoWerD project helps companies identify locations for electrolyzers and gives project developers who are working on hydrogen installations a simple planning tool to use.

The HyTrust project is studying how data trust models (DTMs) can be put in place in the hydrogen sector. The goal is to develop a neutral DTM with a solid business model in the application context of the hydrogen economy.

The H₂GO consortium advances the industrial scaling of production of fuel cells in Germany. It focuses on heavy goods vehicles in road freight with the aim of exploring a robust and low-cost alternative propulsion system.

The BeWiSer project is investigating the potential of biogenic raw materials in steel production to replace energy from fossil fuels and reduce residual emissions in a hydrogen-based process. A demonstration plant serves to validate the process.

The Northern German Living Lab (NRL) operates eight electrolyzers with the aim of replacing the fossil fuels used as energy sources in industrial processes with hydrogen or its derivatives. The lab also focuses on using waste heat and on mobility solutions.

The Hydrogen Grand Prix 2025 combines hydrogen with a motorsport feeling. For the international event, students and teachers are working together to develop race-ready, hydrogen-powered vehicles on a scale of 1:10 and have them compete against each other. Fraunhofer is hosting the preliminary round and the global final in Chemnitz in August.

The first hydrogen-powered cars are already in action on German roads. In the case of electric scooters, however, installation of a high-pressure tank to store the hydrogen is impractical. POWERPASTE, a chemical hydrogen storage system with a very high energy density for PEM fuel cell applications that creates gaseous hydrogen upon contact with water, could be an alternative here.