Hlavní stránka Info portálu ZČU

Hydrogen sources and storage represent technologies that are currently receiving attention. However, much is still unknown about them. Therefore, in April, a three-year project called Hydromun began at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (UWB). It is led by UWB in collaboration with the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, the University of Regensburg, and the Bavarian company Es geht!, focused on sustainable energy

Mixing hydrogen into natural gas or its use in storing surplus energy from photovoltaic power plants from summer to winter months - hydrogen technologies, according to experts from UWB, have great potential to complement the mix of renewable energy sources in the future. "The goal of the Hydromun project is thus to create a regional platform for universities, research organizations, and other stakeholders involved in hydrogen technology utilization in the Czech-Bavarian region," says Vice-Dean Martin Melichar of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, who is part of the project team, adding: "Sustainability and orientation towards these technologies are one of the main current directions of the faculty and also correspond to the planned new study programs in the field of environmental engineering."

The platform will primarily serve for transferring knowledge to representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises, thanks to the involvement of universities on both sides of the border and the company Es geht!, which has data from a functional electrolyzer in Wunsiedel, Bavaria. An electrolyzer is a device used to produce hydrogen by electrolysis of water using electricity from renewable sources. Unlike hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, hydrogen obtained in this way represents clean energy, known as green hydrogen, which does not produce greenhouse gas emissions during its production and is therefore considered environmentally friendly. It is a step towards a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable planet.

The task of universities will be to analyze data obtained from the electrolyzer, hydrogen production, and storage. Based on this, they will create a simulation model of hydrogen utilization and case studies, which will be passed on to representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises through workshops or conferences. An application will also be developed to facilitate the use of hydrogen sources by small and medium-sized enterprises.

"The Hydromun project brings hydrogen and hydrogen technologies not only to the map of the common region but also to practical use," explains Belal Davoud from OTH Regensburg. "Bavaria and Bohemia are not only at the heart of Europe but also at the heart of innovation and technology. Hydrogen represents one of the keys to sustainability, and we literally see innovation in every molecule," adds his colleague Johannes Eckstein.

Supported by the European Interreg Bavaria-Czech Republic program, the project aims to overcome the lack of information about the possibilities of using hydrogen technologies and simultaneously attract the attention of other stakeholders, especially from the ranks of small and medium-sized enterprises.