hyBit

Objective:

Hydrogen for Bremen's industrial transformation - An initial impulse for the development of a hydrogen-industry in northern Germany

Funding:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Project Duration:

September 1st, 2022 - February 28th, 2026

Coordination:

Department for Resilient Energy Systems, University of Bremen

Partners:

The hyBit project consists of 19 partners from science and industry working together with a strong collaborative approach. Project partners include the Wuppertal Institute, the Bremen Institute for Production and Logistics (BIBA) at the University of Bremen, Fraunhofer-IFAM (Bremen), Fraunhofer-ICT (Karlsruhe) and Bremen City University of Applied Sciences, as well as other key players from the industry such as ArcelorMittal Bremen, swb and BLG. Eleven working groups from the technical sciences, humanities and social sciences are represented at the University of Bremen.

Project Description:

The ArcelorMittal steel plant, located at Bremen's industrial port, sits in the center of the project, as it is the main source of CO2-emissions in the region. It's yearly emissions sum up to about six million tons of carbon dioxide, almost as much as the entire city of Bremen. The steel sector is one of the outstanding industries that is starting the conversion process from coal and natural gas to green hydrogen with research and innovation.

Main research goals of the project are: At what speed can a transformation of hydrogen-hubs happen at a large scale, which obstacles might arise and how to deal with unexpected challenges on a local level during this process? Trying to answer these questions, the project aims to address technical, economical, and ecological viewpoints as well as legal and sociological questions. What insights into synergies and trade-off processes can be used to support the transfer of small-scale regional transformation processes to a large-scale hydrogen economy? How can hydrogen, a scarce commodity for the foreseeable future, be used with the greatest possible leverage in the transformation process?

Using a wide variety of scientific methods and approaches, the different working groups are working towards:

  • A roadmap for the development of a green, hydrogen-based sustainable industry at Bremen's industrial port, connection the sectors of heating, power-generation and mobility.
  • A digital twin of Bremen's industrial port constituting as an example of the development of large-scale hydrogen-hubs and it's technical and social implications.
  • The digital twin is supposed to support local monitoring, enabling a steady and fast transformation of Bremen's industrial port even when framework conditions change.
  • The process of de-carbonisation is designed to be resilient in order to counter changes and uncertainties in the establishment and operation of hydrogen hubs at an early stage. The availability of different resources such as hydrogen, power, heat, logistics etc. is secured against external disruptions - ensuring climate-neutrality, economic efficiency and the availability of industrial processes.
  • Connecting the relevant actors from politics, economy and science leads to the creation of a strong hydrogen-sector in northern Germany.

Project Website

Please find the official website of the project at hybit.org.

Contact:

Universität Bremen
Fachbereich Produktionstechnik - Maschinenbau & Verfahrenstechnik
Fachgebiet Resiliente Energiesysteme
artec | Forschungszentrum Nachhaltigkeit

Dr. Torben Stührmann
Tel. +49 (0)421 218-64896
E-Mail

News

Kickoff of the Large-Scale hyBit Hydrogen Research Project

“Hydrogen for Bremen’s industrial transformation” – or hyBit for short – is the name of the important large-scale hydrogen research project coordinated by the University of Bremen. The project will now kick off on November 15–17, 2022. The Bremen steelworks will also be visited.


hyBit: New Large-Scale Hydrogen Research Project Launched in Bremen

Hydrogen is seen as the “energy carrier of tomorrow.” But the path to an efficient hydrogen economy is complex and requires excellent scientific research. The large-scale hyBit hydrogen research project coordinated by the university is receiving almost 30 million euros in funding for the purpose.


Official Website

Please visit the official website of the project at hybit.org.

hyBit consortium partners