On 7 February 2019, planning started on the Fraunhofer Centre for Energy Storage and Systems (ZESS). From this moment on, scientists at the three Fraunhofer institutes have been temporarily working on research and development within the Automotive Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFF). In June 2023, work commenced on a proprietary institute building.
The ZESS is synonymous with the development of system solutions for energy storage and hydrogen technologies. To accomplish these goals, the three partners in research – the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM), the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films (IST) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) – will receive a new institute building at the research airport Braunschweig.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new building, which will have a floor space of more than 3,400 square metres, was held on 7 June 2023. The ceremony was attended, among others, by the Minister for Science and Culture of the state of Lower Saxony, Falko Mohrs, the Lord Mayor of the city of Braunschweig, Dr. Thorsten Kornblum, and the Vice President for Technology Transfer and Innovation at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Arno Kwade.
20 million euros are available as a first immediate financial support. With the new institute building, a modern infrastructure and research platform is being realised, necessary for developing and implementing the future of energy storage. The new building offers space for more than 100 employees. Right now, 75 employees work at the Fraunhofer ZESS, more than 50 of them already at the Braunschweig site. The costs for the new building and the necessary new furnishings amount to approximately 46 million euros. From 2025 onwards, researchers will be able to use the new premises.
Falko Mohrs, Minister for Science and Culture of the state of Lower Saxony: “Our region offers an enormous potential for the research of modern energy storage and systems, and many opportunities to use renewable energy. To meet our energy needs in an efficient and sustainable way, we have to concentrate on developing and implementing innovative solutions for energy storage. The Fraunhofer ZESS is of great importance for Lower Saxony, as it is a centre of technology that makes important contributions to reaching these goals. With today's groundbreaking ceremony, we reach another milestone for everyone involved working together towards this goal.”
Dr. Thorsten Kornblum, Lord Mayor of the city of Braunschweig: “The Fraunhofer Centre is of great importance for our region and for Braunschweig as a City of Science. As a platform for innovation for energy storage and hydrogen technologies it will provide important impulses for our economic and technological development. The Fraunhofer ZESS is an excellent example of successful cooperation between science, politics and business, to master the challenges of the energy transition together and create opportunity for our region.”
Dr. Sandra Krey, Chairwoman for Finances and Controlling and currently head of the Fraunhofer Society (interim): "The Fraunhofer Society is in a good position regarding the central field of future battery research, for example through the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production in Münster, and last but not least through the Fraunhofer Center for Energy Storage and Systems ZESS. Through outstanding research and quick transfer we contribute to strengthening the technological sovereignty of Germany in this important sector of the market. The Fraunhofer ZESS will focus the technical competences of the Fraunhofer Institutes IST, IFAM and IKTS as well as those of the Technological University of Braunschweig and continue to develop technologies that lead to prototypes for solutions and systems – with the goal of bringing the new mobile and stationary storage technologies to market.”
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Arno Kwade, Vice President for Technological Transfer and Innovation at TU Braunschweig: “The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fraunhofer ZESS marks an important milestone for further expansion of the battery research cluster in the Braunschweig region. Since until now research has focused on lithium-ion batteries, which are used predominantly today in vehicles, the Fraunhofer ZESS will focus on the development and above all production and scaling of the next battery and hydrogen technologies. This turns innovations from university laboratories into applicable technology and opens up areas of future business for companies and founders in the region, especially in the areas of sustainability and circular economy.”
Dr.-Ing. Julian Schwenzel, head of the department of electric energy storage at the Fraunhofer IFAM and since 2021 centre director at Fraunhofer ZESS: “For the research focus on lithium solid-state batteries, sodium-nickel-chloride batteries and hydrogen technologies and using the competence of the three Fraunhofer institutes and their networks, we can cover the entire added value chain for selected mobile and stationary storage technologies. This ranges from raw materials and components through process and production technology to quality assurance and system integration. Another essential aspect is regaining raw materials through efficient recycling processes of energy storage devices.”
In solid-state batteries, liquid electrolytes are replaced by a solid alternative. This leads to better electrochemical stability, high energy density and greater operational safety compared to the lithium-ion batteries currently used. Depending on the solid electrolytes used there is still a large need for development concerning this new generation of high energy batteries. In order to reach the desired larger cell systems, we need new production technologies which are being pioneered at the Fraunhofer ZESS.
Especially important are stationary energy storage systems, as they are elementary for the future supply of electricity with a large content of sustainable energy. The next generation of sustainable sodium-nickel-chloride batteries can make a large contribution. This technology is promising because it is based on widely available sodium, which is inexpensive, stable and friendly to the environment. The Fraunhofer ZESS institute is involved in developing modules, system integration and subsequent testing and quality assurance of these long-lived energy storage systems.
The need for hydrogen and related storage technologies will greatly increase in order to realise the climate goals of the coming years. POWERPASTE is a chemical hydrogen storage substance with a large storage density for PEM fuel cell applications. POWERPASTE releases gaseous hydrogen on contact with water. At Fraunhofer ZESS the synthesis of POWERPASTE is researched and tested at the scale of a technical laboratory, in order to demonstrate scaling hydrogen synthesis to the industrial level for the first time.
