The secure supply of energy and raw materials as the basis of our economy
A secure, affordable and environmentally friendly supply of energy and resources is a basic prerequisite for Germany and Europe as a sovereign business location. The transformation to a climate-friendly supply and the changing geopolitical situation present challenges. At the same time, there is an opportunity to renew the system with the help of technical, digital and social innovations. The acatech program area Energy and Resources is dedicated to the transformation of our energy system, the hydrogen economy, the secure supply of raw materials and the circular economy in various projects and formats. The transformation of the building sector also plays an important role for a climate-friendly future and livable living space.
Energy Systems of the Future (ESYS)
How can the transformation to a sustainable, secure and yet affordable energy supply succeed? What elements will form the German and European energy system of the future? Can political decisions be derived from energy scenarios and, if so, what needs to be taken into account? The joint initiative “Energy Systems of the Future” (ESYS) by acatech, Leopoldina and the Academies’ Union is currently addressing the questions whose answers are essential for the energy system of tomorrow. Since 2013, more than 160 experts from university, non-university and corporate research have been working in ESYS to develop options for action that can form a basis for long-term and forward-looking political decisions.
Nuclear fusion
For decades, the civilian use of nuclear fusion has nurtured hopes of a sustainable, unlimited and affordable source of energy. Remarkable scientific progress has been made in this field in recent years. In the meantime, nuclear fusion is no longer just a topic of basic research – there are more than 40 start-ups worldwide that want to make nuclear fusion commercially viable. As a neutral scientific organization, acatech is supporting this process at various levels: We classify the role of nuclear fusion in an energy system of the future, provide recommendations for the development of a nuclear fusion innovation ecosystem and support the Bavarian expert commission “Mission Nuclear Fusion”.
More about the expert commission “Mission Nuclear Fusion”
Building the hydrogen economy
Hydrogen is a crucial building block for a climate-neutral economy. Without climate-friendly hydrogen, there can be no climate-friendly steel production or chemical industry. Hydrogen, which is produced with the help of renewable energies such as sunlight, is also essential for a reliable and climate-neutral transformation of the energy supply. How can we ensure that sufficient hydrogen is available for the transformation? And how can we ensure that companies rely more heavily on this energy source in their processes, even if there is not yet enough hydrogen available?
Together with DECHEMA, acatech has carried out the Hydrogen Compass project and developed options for action for the ramp-up of a hydrogen economy. With the electrolysis monitor, we have developed a tool that maps the ramp-up of hydrogen production. As part of the ESYS project, we investigated which transport options exist for hydrogen and the feasibility of a German-Australian hydrogen partnership was explicitly examined in the HYSUPPLY project.
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More about the H2 Compass project
Building & Living
The creation of affordable housing is one of the German government’s key objectives – but figures show that there is still a lot of catching up to do. The construction sector also makes a significant contribution to global resource and energy consumption. The transformation of the building sector therefore plays a decisive role in climate-friendly economic activity. At the same time, prescribed standards and the dynamic socio-ecological framework conditions pose major challenges. The “Building & Living” platform project looks at the building stock in (sub)urban areas in the context of affordability, sustainability and quality of life. The aim is to define obstacles to existing innovations for more affordable housing and affordability in the neighborhood and to develop impulses and solutions to overcome these obstacles and transfer them into practice.
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