Head of the new Electrochemical Energy Systems Department at the Research Institute Precious Metals and Metal Chemistry fem, Interview: Robert Piterek
What goals are you pursuing at the Research Institute Precious Metals with the new Electrochemical Energy Systems (EES) department?
We believe in green energy and are combining our traditional strengths in surface technology, materials science and electrochemistry to realize it. The new department will make a significant contribution to the energy transition and help shape the future. We will continue to expand the fem's equipment with new test benches and characterization methods. Fuel cells, batteries and electrolysers play a key role in a climate-friendly and greenhouse gas-neutral economy. Innovative manufacturing methods as well as the development, optimization and characterization of components such as electrodes and electrocatalysts are our core competencies. The aim is to find solutions to the scientific and technical challenges in electrochemical energy systems and to resolve trade-offs between efficiency, power density, operating time, environmental friendliness, safety and costs. We are also researching cost-effective and environmentally friendly batteries based on raw materials such as sulphur, calcium and zinc. In the field of hydrogen electrolysis and fuel cells, we use sustainable materials and dispense with expensive and problematic raw materials. In this context, we are increasingly focusing on the recovery of raw materials and the establishment of a circular economy.
"We will make a significant contribution to the energy transition"
Are investments also being made in your new department?
The new department is not a completely new establishment, but has developed over the last ten to twenty years within electrochemistry - which has been one of the origins of the fem since 1926 - with its very own focus on hydrogen and battery technology. For around ten years, one of my tasks has been to initially establish and then continuously expand battery activities at fem. We have a lot to thank the former head of department, Dr. Renate Freudenberger, for with regard to fuel cell and electrolysis activities. A lot has already been invested in laboratory and equipment, in highly qualified personnel and in the development of networks and cooperation with partners from science and industry. In the meantime, however, we are reaching our spatial limits at the fem. The next major and most important investment will therefore be our new building, the K15 Innovation Center. From next year, there will be plenty of space there for the technical and personnel expansion of my department, including a fuel cell test bench.
How does the work of the new department relate to your involvement in the Hy-FIVE initiative, which was recently sealed?
My department supports the fem's involvement in the Hy-FIVE initiative. We are very happy to be one of the 19 project partners in Baden-Württemberg. The aim of the project is firstly to set up and operate an integrated network of electrolyzer plants, filling stations and pipelines, and secondly to further develop hydrogen technology in application-oriented R&D projects. At fem, we will further intensify our activities in the field of hydrogen technology by setting up a cluster plant. This facility will enable us to develop innovative materials and surfaces for fuel cells and electrolysis in direct cooperation with SMEs and industry. More about the Hy-FIVE initiative on p. 995
ABOUT THE PERSON
Dr. Seniz Sörgel
After completing her Master's degree in electrochemistry at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Seniz Sörgel received a scholarship for her doctoral thesis at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart. She then worked at the DLR Institute of Technical Thermodynamics, where she initiated battery activities. At fem, she has been building up the laboratory for battery technology since 2013.
