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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
With EUR 10m in federal funding, Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) is enhancing its hydrogen infrastructure at Campus Inffeldgasse. The new electrolysis test centre and expanded testing facilities for fuel cells and high-temperature burners are significant steps in the energy transition, while also reinforcing Styria’s position as a leading European hydrogen research hub.
Setting new standards for green hydrogen technology
The new hydrogen electrolysis test centre at TU Graz’s Campus Inffeldgasse for developing and testing hydrogen technologies on an industrial scale is unique in Austria. Spanning a 250-square-metre test area, the facility houses electrolysers with a total capacity of 1.6 to 2.5 megawatts. A dedicated transformer station ensures a stable supply of electricity, which enables researchers to simulate a range of supply scenarios. This is particularly important as the facility produces up to 50 kilogrammes of hydrogen when running at full capacity. At a pressure of 80 bar, the hydrogen is transported via a pipeline to an 18-metre-high storage tank with a capacity of 190 kilogrammes (48m³). From there, it flows through a 315-metre underground pipeline to several institutes at Campus Inffeldgasse, where it is available around the clock for research projects. Researchers use the green hydrogen produced at the facility to conduct realistic tests on new and expanded test rigs for next-generation large engines, turbines, hydrogen burners, and fuel cell stacks.
TU Graz Rector Horst Bischof is delighted with this forward-looking investment: “Through this state-of-the-art research infrastructure, we are laying the groundwork to strengthen our position as Austria’s leading – and internationally renowned – ‘hydrogen university’. As a result, TU Graz is playing a key role in the implementation of the nation’s hydrogen strategy. True to our motto ‘Research with Impact,’ our aim is to work hand in hand with industry, science, and business to develop the next generation of climate-friendly energy technologies.”
In summer 2022, the federal government allocated EUR 17m in funding to expand hydrogen research infrastructure in Styria: EUR 7m for Montanuniversität Leoben and EUR 10m for TU Graz. Of this amount, EUR 4.5 million has now been invested directly in the new H2 electrolysis test centre, with the remaining EUR 5.5 million allocated to a new test rig for fuel cell stacks, expanding high-temperature burner test facilities, a gas mixing station, compressors, and analysis, measurement, and safety technology. Around 250 researchers are already working at the Research Center for Green Hydrogen and Fuel Technologies at the “Hydrogen Campus” Inffeldgasse. Four TU Graz institutes and three COMET centres cover the full innovation spectrum at the Research Center, from fundamental research to hydrogen production, storage, and distribution, as well as its subsequent use in vehicles, power plants, and industrial applications.
Elmar Pichl, Head of the Higher Education Section at the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research (BMFWF), explains: “Green hydrogen is a key energy source for building a sustainable future. The new electrolysis test facility at TU Graz is creating cutting-edge infrastructure for the production of hydrogen under realistic conditions. At present, this process is both complex and costly, but expansion of these facilities means that we are in a position to work towards making it more efficient and cost-effective. It also marks a crucial step in hydrogen research to achieve our shared goal of climate neutrality for Austria by 2040 – which is a priority for the new federal government and a key concern for our Science and Research Minister, Eva-Maria Holzleitner.”
Styria: Europe’s hydrogen innovation hub
Styria ranks among Europe’s leading hydrogen regions, thanks also to Montanuniversität Leoben’s complementary research expertise, which is consolidated at the Hydrogen and Carbon Research Center Austria – HY-CARE – and numerous local hydrogen companies.
"Hydrogen technologies are essential for driving forward the decarbonisation of the economy and thus successfully mastering the green transformation. Styria is already very successful in researching these technologies and is therefore part of the first European hydrogen valley for industrial applications. With the new test centre at Graz University of Technology, we are further strengthening our leading position in this essential field and increasing our international visibility," says State Councillor for Economy and Research Willibald Ehrenhöfer.
“The close coordination of the research objectives of the two Styrian TU Austria universities contributes significantly to the promotion of hydrogen research in Austria,” says Helmut Antrekowitsch, Vice Rector for Research and Sustainability at Montanuniversität Leoben. “The Research Centre for Hydrogen and Carbon in Leoben is working intensively on the development of advanced process technologies to provide large quantities of hydrogen for industrial use. At the same time, the entire value-added cycle of hydrogen and carbon is being researched. This complements the activities of Graz University of Technology perfectly, enabling an excellent research network that extends beyond Austria's borders.”
Ideal conditions for long-term testing of electrolysis systems
“The new electrolysis test centre provides ideal conditions for long-term tests, accelerated ageing tests, and analysis of degradation behaviour and system reliability for various electrolysis systems and technologies,” says Alexander Trattner from TU Graz’s Institute of Thermodynamics and Sustainable Propulsion Systems and CEO of the HyCentA COMET Competence Centre. Direct integration of industry-oriented operations with high-precision gas and water analysis systems ensures that hydrogen quality can be assessed in line with international standards – with or without integrated purification systems. “This allows us to precisely define requirements for the volume production of future electrolysis systems,” says Alexander Trattner.
Integrated research ecosystem: produce, store, utilise
“The new infrastructure facilitates a fully integrated research ecosystem for hydrogen technologies at TU Graz for the first time. This opens up new scientific opportunities for long-term tests and stress tests as well as system analyses under realistic conditions,” says Viktor Hacker, Head of the Institute of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology and Spokesperson for the Research Center for Green Hydrogen and Fuel Technologies. “One of the distinctive features of the Graz site is the close scientific collaboration on every scale – from fundamental materials science research to lab-scale tests and pre-industrial applications on a megawatt scale.”
As a result, Graz is creating a model for developing and testing future energy systems that is unique in Europe. A new test rig for fuel cell stacks aims to significantly increase the efficiency and lifespan of the technology while reducing the use of rare metals such as platinum. The new infrastructure allows testing under extreme climatic conditions and at high tilt angles, the likes of which are encountered in maritime and aviation applications. Another research focus is on optimising combined electrolysis-fuel cell devices that can flexibly produce hydrogen or generate electricity.
The expanded test rigs for industrial high-temperature burners at the Institute of Thermal Engineering (IWT) will be among the other main users of the green hydrogen. Here, researchers are mixing hydrogen with natural gas to study the effects on gas supply, exhaust systems, and burner loads, whereby various gas mixtures are tested at exhaust temperatures of 800 to 1,500°C in a power range of up to 1.2 MW.
Opening of the new hydrogen electrolysis test centre at TU Graz's Inffeldgasse campus. From left: Vi ...
Oliver Wolf
Wolf - TU Graz
Stack test bench for fuel cells and electrolyzers at the Institute of Thermodynamics and Sustainable ...
Oliver Wolf
Wolf - TU Graz
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