DryHy

Innovative technologies as well as global energy and research partnerships play a key role in the energy transition. In order to achieve the energy and climate policy goals of reducing emissions and conserving fossil energy reserves, it is necessary to transfer new technologies from research to application. Hydrogen technologies and the processes in which they are used are particularly important in this respect. Only through suitable partnerships between countries and continents can sources of renewable energy contribute to supra-regional defossilization and achieve a uniform level of education and prosperity.

Objective

In the DryHy research project, technologies and processes are being developed to enable a resource-conscious, sustainable and efficient energy and materials management. The aim is to acquire and disseminate relevant knowledge and strengthen an energy and research partnership between Germany and Africa.

The focus is on the production of hydrogen and synthesis gases using high-temperature electrolysis (SOEC), which can be powered by renewable energies (e.g. solar energy). The starting materials carbon dioxide and water, which are required for the production of hydrogen and synthesis gases, are extracted from the air using a Direct Air Capture (DAC) system. This enables electrolysis to be operated in dry, sunny regions, which conserves drinking water resources. Downstream of electrolysis, methanol synthesis is also being considered in order to open up the process route for e-fuels. This will make hydrogen and methanol available for local use as well as for supra-regional transportation.

At IET-1, the two sub-processes DAC and SOEC are examined in detail. This includes both the modeling and, towards the end of the first project phase, the experimental investigation of the two sub-processes. In addition, IET-1 coordinates the overall project and develops the optimal energy and material integration of the three sub-processes.