Press Release

Many decision-makers find it difficult to realistically assess the opportunities and risks of carbon nanotubes, or CNTs for short. A white paper by Fraunhofer IPA and other experts provides the necessary background – understandable even for non-experts.

By making cooling supply systems more flexible, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 22 to 39 percent and electricity procurement costs by 35 to 54 percent. Fraunhofer UMSICHT came to this conclusion in the "FlexKaelte" project. At the same time, the researchers found that there are still a number of obstacles and hurdles on the way to flexibilization – from concerns about possible losses in cooling quality and a lack of information regarding the achievable economic potential to the question of how cooperation between the various players can be structured. How these obstacles can be overcome is the focus of the follow-up project "FlexBlue", for which the institute has joined forces with a number of partners.

The recycling of components from end-of-life solar modules is an important approach to the sustainable use of resources. This allows certain components of solar modules to be reused or converted into new products. The recently launched joint project "RETRIEVE" aims to make this possible: When recycling solar module components, the goal is to improve the material quality so that it meets the current requirements for reintegration into the photovoltaic value chain. The Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP is contributing its expertise in material analysis and process optimization to the project, which will run until March 2027.

In the “HoLa” project, a total of eight high-performance charging points for trucks using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) are being installed at five locations along the A2 between Berlin and the Ruhr region and used in real logistics operations. Recommendations for action have been derived from the research results available to date that contain important findings for a nationwide expansion of charging infrastructure. All the results were presented today at the European “HoLa conference” in Berlin and are documented in a report.

Bremen/Gdynia, Poland, March 2024 – The Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES has conducted a boulder detection campaign in the Baltic Sea on behalf of Baltic Power for the foundations of the planned wind turbines. It also applied the surveying technology along the planned subsea cable routes for the very first time. The innovative Manta Ray G1 measuring system allows not only the detection of boulders located up to 100 meters below the seafloor but also the surveying of shallower objects along cable corridors. This technology developed by Fraunhofer IWES makes it possible to minimize risks posed by boulders during the installation of wind turbines, offshore substations (OSS), and cables.

Solar cells made in Europe can set themselves apart from the competition through highly efficient technologies and compliance with environmentally friendly produc-tion processes and standards. This is where the EU-funded joint project PILATUS comes in, which aims to create three digitalised pilot lines for the production of silicon wafers, solar cells and PV modules in Europe by 2025. The aim is to transfer the latest back-contact technology for heterojunction solar cells to mass production. The Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP is applying its expertise in the field of inline and offline diagnostics and metrology of solar cells using its digitally controlled measurement and classification platform.

With a patented process for micro-nano-structuring, the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle (Saale) has achieved significant improvements in the adhesion properties of polymers. The process, in which structured surfaces are produced by hot imprinting or injection molding, also offers considerable advantages in terms of wettability, optical reflection, hydrophobicity and recyclability.

Daimler Truck AG, ElringKlinger AG, ENGEL Austria GmbH, ThermHex Waben GmbH, Edevis GmbH and the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS have produced a storage compartment flap for a truck interior in sandwich construction in a recently completed project. The flap, made from thermoplastic sandwich semi-finished products, demonstrates the enormous potential for saving weight with thermoplastic sandwich molding technology and its suitability both for molded components and for use in large-scale production.

Digitalisation is a highly relevant key process for the transformation of the energy system - details of this were researched by the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence CINES in 2022 and summarised in 14 theses. The 2023 progress report, which examines the further development of the digitalisation of the energy system, was published today.

Research institutions from Saxony-Anhalt and South Korea want to intensify their cooperation and exchange on hydrogen topics. The Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle (Saale) and the An-halt University of Applied Sciences have signed a cooperation agreement with the Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH). Joint research projects and workshops are planned.