HySecunda

South Africa boasts abundant renewable energy sources such as sun and wind which can be used to produce clean and sustainable hydrogen. In the future, the country could therefore play an important role for Germany and Europe as a hydrogen producer, provided suitable infrastructures for storing and distributing hydrogen can be developed and production costs can be lowered to make this technology competitive.

With this in mind, the HySecunda joint research project has been started and involves the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology IEE, the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems IEG, the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES, the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE as well as the Fraunhofer Academy developing practical and scalable solutions for green hydrogen production in South Africa over a period of three years. As part of the project, solutions to build capacity are being implemented — for example, through an education and further training concept that addresses the country-specific needs of the 16 countries that make up the Southern African Development Community (SADC region).

A key topic for HySecunda also concerns market- and system-oriented solutions for certifying green hydrogen and its derivatives. Analyses of the energy systems and economic viability for generation, supply chains and possible applications in the industry are helping to highlight the risks and the framework conditions required at an early stage. These are essential for successful commercialization and to ensure that the hydrogen can be imported to Germany and Europe.

At a technological level, the Fraunhofer institutes are providing assistance in four areas of focus:

• The development of innovative sensors that aim to make it possible, for example, to detect leaks in tanks and pipelines more effectively and to identify corrosion and aging processes at an early stage.
• Innovative, combined oxygen/hydrogen barrier layers. Such layers prevent oxygen and hydrogen from entering other parts of the electrolysis cell or the environment. Improved solutions will therefore increase the service life and safety of the components used.
• More cost-effective coatings for bipolar plates (BPP). These types of plate are used as conductive partitions between the individual cells. Due to the extreme demands placed on these components (temperature, pressure, electrical voltage, corrosive conditions), BPP are usually made from titanium, graphite, steel or stainless steel and their surfaces are also coated with precious metals such as gold or platinum. Here, the consortium intends to trial more cost-effective solutions that can handle the extreme operating conditions and offer the necessary long-term stability.
• Optimized solutions for porous transport layers (PTL). These assist the efficient transport of gases, liquids and ions in the electrolysis cell and are placed between the electrode and the bipolar plate. Optimized PTL solutions can significantly increase the efficiency of the reaction.