DE
Fraunhofer ISE is showcasing its new production research for membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) for fuel cells and electrolyzers at Hannover Messe. The focus is on a new pilot facility as well as analyses of power-to-X and hydrogen supply chains.
At Hannover Messe, the Fraunhofer LBF is presenting methods for evaluating materials, components, and complete hydrogen systems under mechanical, thermal, electrical, and electrochemical loads over their entire life cycle.
The Materials Processing Institute (MPI) in the United Kingdom has commissioned a test facility that enables materials testing in a pure hydrogen atmosphere at temperatures of up to 1,650 °C. The facility is intended to help close knowledge gaps about the behaviour of materials under hydrogen conditions.
Fraunhofer ISE has increased methanol production from steel mill off-gases by 39 percent using a digital twin in the Carbon2Chem project. The simulation platform is intended to also be used in the future for the production of aviation fuels.
The steel corporation Voestalpine has installed two high-pressure compressors from the Spanish manufacturer Hiperbaric at its hydrogen pilot plant H2Future in Linz, Austria. The devices compress green hydrogen up to 500 bar – among other uses for the hydrogen-based steel production process Hyfor.
The Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen is developing a scalable fuel cell system for short-haul passenger aircraft with partners from industry and research. The three-year project GENtwoPRO is funded by the federal government.
A European consortium led by the Spanish research center Cener aims to further develop solid oxide electrolysis. In the Desiree project, a 40 kW prototype is to be created by 2029, achieving an efficiency of over 85 percent and providing hydrogen without additional electrical compression.
The Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen University leads the federally funded research project DigHy. The aim is a digitized hydrogen infrastructure for mining, which will supply heavy vehicles emission-free with hydrogen produced by electrolysis from treated mine water.
As part of the German-Chilean Power-to-MEDME R&D project, researchers at Fraunhofer IAP have developed new PEM electrolyzer catalysts with significantly reduced iridium content. The innovation aims to lower costs and enable scalable hydrogen production—without compromising performance.
As part of the DeCarTrans project, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg has processed industrially produced e-methanol from Denmark into synthetic gasoline for the first time. This step is considered a technological milestone for industrial e-fuel production.
In the EU project H2Loop, hydrogen is to be extracted from blast furnace gases. Rouge H2 Engineering is contributing a chemical looping process for this purpose. A pilot plant is planned at the Italian steelworks Acciaierie d’Italia.
The Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC) has launched a pilot plant for the production of Solid Oxide Cells (SOC) using 3D printing. The technology aims to accelerate the industrial production of highly efficient fuel cells and electrolysers.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials (IWM) and the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are jointly developing a model for predicting the lifetime of materials in hydrogen applications. The aim is to achieve faster and more cost-effective qualification of components.
In the KISSSEs project, Fraunhofer ILT, iGas energy, and dLS LichtSchneiderei are working on laser-based manufacturing processes for PEM electrolysers. The goal is to replace precious metals with conductive titanium expanded metal and thus reduce production costs.
Hydrogen Europe Research has awarded five young scientists with the Young Scientist Award 2025. The awards were presented during the EU Hydrogen Research and Innovation Days in Brussels.
In the research project H2Rollout, a flat flame burner is being fully converted to hydrogen for the first time in a galvanizing plant. The goal is to develop a transferable solution for low-CO₂ high-temperature processes in industry.
More than 120 exhibitors and around 2,000 trade visitors discussed technological advances, market prospects and regulatory frameworks for hydrogen at hy-fcell 2025. For the first time, the conference was included in the trade fair ticket – and was met with great interest.
The companies SIAD and Brembo are each investing up to one million euros in the Italian hydrogen start-up Hydrospark. The company develops solid oxide cells based on ceramic materials for emission-free energy conversion and storage.
The Finnish technology group Metso has commissioned a pilot plant for the hydrogen-based pre-reduction of iron ore in Frankfurt am Main. The plant is based on the Circored process and is intended to enable low-CO2 steel production.
Fraunhofer IEG has commissioned a pilot plant in the city of Zittau, Germany, that for the first time feeds waste heat from a PEM electrolyzer into a district heating network using a heat pump. The aim is to improve the economic efficiency of hydrogen production.
Daimler Buses has put its first coach with a fuel cell drive system on the road. The technology demonstrator is based on components from the GenH2 Truck and is designed to achieve a range of at least 800 kilometers.
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the start-up Magnotherm have commissioned Europe’s first pilot plant for hydrogen liquefaction using magnetocaloric cooling. The technology is expected to be more energy-efficient and cost-effective than conventional processes.
Researchers at the University of Basel have developed a molecule that can store four charges simultaneously under the influence of light. This approach is considered an important intermediate step on the path toward CO2-neutral solar fuels such as hydrogen.
The hydrogen racing series Extreme H has joined the UK industry association Hydrogen UK. The aim is to use motorsport as a platform for research, technology development and public acceptance of hydrogen.
For the first time, a hydrogen-powered baggage tug is being used at Hamburg Airport. The converted vehicle is being tested under real-world conditions as part of the North German Living Lab – a potential path toward CO2-free airport mobility.
