"Kopernikus Projects for Energy Transition"
The federal government has set up so-called "Kopernikus Projects for the Transformation of Energy Systems". The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of RWTH Aachen University is significantly involved in the consortium "ENSURE" and the project "P2X: Research, validation and implementation of Power To X processes".
ENSURE is concerned with answering the question: What is an energy network structure that makes sense from a technical, economic and social point of view, and what proportion of centralized and decentralized supply does it contain? Therefore, the project investigates on a broad basis efficient new system structures, stable system management mechanisms as well as the integration of new technologies. Special attention is paid to the technical and social transformation process to be mastered. This is why the focus is on technologies for power transmission as well as information and communication technologies that will ensure balance and stability in networked supply structures in the future.
Power To X refers to technologies that convert electricity from renewable sources in material energy stores, energy sources and energy-intensive chemical products. This enables energy from renewable sources to be used in form of customized fuels for motor vehicles or in improved plastics and chemical products with high added value. Within the framework of the Kopernikus program of the federal government, a national research platform is now being set up for this complex field with the selected project Power To X, P2X.
With Power To X technologies, electricity from renewable sources is first electrochemically converted into material resources such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide and synthesis gas. These material resources must then be efficiently stored and distributed and converted into the end products. This requires innovative solutions, which are to be developed in the project in ecologically, economically and socially advantegeous processes. Power To X thus contributes to the goal of decarbonizing energy systems, which the German government is aiming for with the energy system transformation, and at the same time reduces the share of fossil raw material in the important lead markets of transport and traffic as well as chemistry.
Contact persons from RWTH are Prof. Rik W. De Doncker (E.ON Energy Research Center) and Prof. Albert Moser (Institute for Power Systems and Power Economics).
Here you can find the detailed press releases about ENSURE and Power To X.