Research Infrastructures
The combination of a systemic perspective, broad research ranging from fundamentals to applications, and unique research infrastructures enables Helmholtz Energy to contribute essential insights to solving the most pressing societal issues—in particular, achieving climate neutrality in Germany and beyond by 2045. The development, construction, and operation of research infrastructures are essential prerequisites for our activities. They also make Helmholtz Energy a sought-after partner for research institutions from all over the world, for universities in the regional, national, and international environment, as well as for companies and start-ups.
Energy Lab (KIT, DLR, FZJ)
The Energy Lab is Europe's largest research infrastructure for renewable energy technologies, working on promising solutions for the overall energy system of 2050. It integrates research on smart and sector-coupled energy grids with chemical energy storage, hydrogen technologies, synthetic liquid fuels, gaseous energy carriers and carbon recycling. Its overarching goal is to accelerate transfer of successful research on new energy technologies from laboratory scale to commercial application, coupling experimental validation in a real system environment with real-time simulations.
High Power Grid Lab (KIT)
High Power Grid Lab (HPGL), as high-power and high-voltage laboratory for the development and testing of novel hardware and control strategies of electrical power systems, will enable the creation of a holistic Power Hardware in the Loop (PHIL) test environment, complementing the Energy Lab testing capability.
Living Lab Energy Campus (FZJ)
The Living Lab Energy Campus (LLEC) is an integrated infrastructure for investigating future-sustainable energy systems on the basis of decentralized and renewable energy. Making use of extensive instrumentation and the implementation of a data acquisition and control system as well as demonstrator units from various novel energy technologies such as PV units, electrolyzers or batteries, it enables the real-time analysis, design, and operational optimization of energy systems. It thus yields a complex and realistic model system for local neighborhoods and regional energy system cells, leading to a sustainable and resilient development of decentralized systems on the basis of simulation tools for the optimized design and integrated operation of individual components.
BESSY II (HZB)
The synchrotron radiation source BESSY II with its upgrade program BESSY II is one of the leading international sources of soft X-rays and plays a pivotal role in energy research by enabling dedicated in-situ and operando characterization of materials.
Center for Resource Process Intensification (HZDR)
The new Center for Resource Process Intensification and Interface Studies (CeRI²) focuses on multiphase flow research for resource technologies and H2 production for a significant increase of resource and energy efficiency in these processes.
Gas Turbine Research Center (DLR)
The DLR gas turbine research and validation test center enables the development of highly flexible and low-emission decentralized, industrial and heavy-duty gas turbine technologies using a large variety of renewable gaseous and liquid fuels including hydrogen for a reliable, safe and CO2-neutral energy supply of tomorrow. It consists of a compressor, combustor, turbine as well as seal and lifetime test facilities.
More about the Institut of Test and Simulation for Gas Turbines
GeoLab: Underground Research Lab for Geothermal Energy (KIT, GFZ, UFZ)
GeoLaB (Geothermal Laboratory in the Crystalline Basement) is the Helmholtz Association's research platform for deep geothermal reservoirs across research fields. By acquiring in situ data in a reservoir analogue, GeoLaB aims to provide a solid basis for the development of technologies for the economic, safe and sustainable use of the largest geothermal resources in Germany and worldwide. It bridges the gap between lab experiments and demonstration projects such as FORGE (funded by the U.S. DOE), and positions Germany as a key player in deep geothermal research.
Helmholtz-Innovation-lab HYSPRINT
The Helmholtz Innovation Lab HySPRINT is a one-of-its-kind R&D infrastructure at HZB with the dedicated focus to produce, test and improve highly efficient, stable and scalable perovskite based solar cells and modules jointly with industrial partners.
Membrane Centre (FZJ)
Membrane systems are of crucial importance for the development of new energy-efficient technologies in the context of the energy transition. They form the basis of novel fuel cells, catalytic membrane reactors and batteries. The Membrane Center at Forschungszentrum Julich with a usable area of around 1,550 m2 covers the manufacturing of inorganic membranes by applying, for example, tape casting, physical vapor deposition and dip coating technologies, including clean-room infrastructure for coating in a dust-free environment. Operando characterization of materials and components is carried out.
Solar Tower Test Infrastructure (DLR)
DLR's solar tower test infrastructure in Jülich provides a unique infrastructure for testing concentrating solar power components in a MW-scale system environment, and with Synlight, DLR moreover operates the world's largest research facility for the generation of artificial sunlight.
WiValdi Wind Energy Research Farm (DLR)
The WiValdi wind energy research farm in Krummendeich is a large-scale research facility with a globally unique sensor set, thus enabling full-scale scientific research with an unprecedented level of detail under real environmental conditions.
ASDEX Upgrade (IPP)
ASDEX Upgrade is a medium-sized tokamak, and one of the key devices world-wide for the preparation of ITER operation and fusion power plant development.
Wendelstein 7-X (IPP)
W7-X is the largest and most advanced superconducting stellarator-type fusion experiment and aims to investigate the physical and technological fundamentals of optimized stellarators and demonstrate their suitability for use in power plants.
HOVER (KIT, FZJ, HZDR)
The Helmholtz Research and Testing Platform for Radioactive Waste Management and the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities (HOVER), which is currently under construction, is of paramount importance for research activities on nuclear waste management, and will be fully available in the second half of this decade.
Center for Radiation Research and Radioecology (CARE) (HZDR)
The planned Center for Radiation Research and Radioecology (CARE) investigates the effects of radionuclides on biological processes at the molecular and cellular level using advanced techniques. It tackles open scientific questions on radionuclide release, transport, toxicity, and interactions on various scales from biomolecules to complex systems such as microbial communities and plants, and is therefore of great societal relevance with regard to hazard and risk assessment for human health and the environment.