Winners in the ideas competition 'Reallabore der Energiewende' (Real labs of the energy transition)

In the future, companies will test new hydrogen technologies on an industrial scale and in a real environment in 20 real laboratories throughout Germany.

18.7.2019. Today Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier announced the winners of the "Energy Transition Real Labs Ideas Competition". The Energy Transition Real Labs are used to test sustainable energy technologies under real conditions and on an industrial scale. The central theme of the ideas competition is CO2-poor Hydrogen. Its use means no or only very low greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen can be produced, for example, via electrolysis on the basis of electricity from wind power or photovoltaic plants. Other important topics in the first round of the ideas competition are energy storage and energy-optimised neighbourhoods.

Federal Minister of Economics and Technology Peter Altmaier commented: "We want to become the world's number 1 in hydrogen technologies. Hydrogen technologies offer enormous potential for the Energy transition and the Climate protection as well as for new jobs. With the Energy Transition Real Labs, we will test new hydrogen technologies not only in research, but also in application under real conditions and on an industrial scale. This is an important building block for the further implementation of the energy transition. We have therefore selected 20 consortia nationwide as winners of our ideas competition."

The response to the "Ideas Competition Reallabore der Energiewende" far exceeded expectations. A total of 90 proposals were submitted. Some projects cannot be implemented in the existing funding regime. The Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology has therefore initiated the expansion of the funding framework. The list of winners published today also includes projects that can only be implemented with a new funding guideline.

In total, the BMWi 20 consortia nationwide that are planning reallabs. These 20 selected winners of the ideas competition can now submit their applications for funding in the coming weeks and months. For this purpose, the BMWi 100 million euros annually for this purpose. In order to underline the special importance of traditional energy regions for the energy system of the future, the Federal Cabinet has already decided in the key points for a Structural Strengthening Act of 22 May 2019 to provide an additional 200 million euros for reallabs in structural transformation regions.

In addition, the Federal Government will adopt a hydrogen strategy by the end of the year. "Real laboratories of the energy transition" are an important building block for this.

Profile of the winners of the "Energy Transition Real Labs Ideas Competition
you will find here (PDF, 136 KB). A map with a geographical overview can be found here (PDF, 1 MB).
A chapeau text explaining the objectives of the ideas competition can be found at here (PDF, 130 KB).

Supplementary information:
"Energy transition real laboratories" are a new funding pillar in the Federal Government's energy research programme. Companies test the real operation of new technologies in a region. Together with partners from science and research, they analyse the interactions with the energy system and society. On site, it becomes apparent how actors and technologies of the energy transition interact. In this way, valuable experience is gathered to accelerate the transfer of innovations into practice. The results of the reallabs also show how the legal framework must be further developed so that business models can be competitive in the long term.

Video of the press conference:
www.bmwi.de/...reallabore-der-energiewende.html

Further information:
www.energieforschung.de