Green Deal Ukraina: HZB launches an Energy & Climate Project
© AdobeStock
Green Deal Ukraina, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is working with partner institutions in Ukraine and Poland to establish an energy and climate think tank in the capital, Kiev. The aim is to provide independent and evidence-based advice on rebuilding a sustainable energy system in Ukraine. After all, the implementation of energy and climate legislation is a prerequisite for Ukraine's accession to the EU. The project started on 1 June 2023 and will run for four years.
Together with Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, partners from Poland and Ukraine are also involved in the project. They will work from Berlin, Kiev and Warsaw. Key partners are Forum Energii, a leading Energy- and Climate Think Tank in Poland, as well as in Ukraine Dixi Group, Ecoaction and the Kyiv School of Energy Policy (KSEP). Planned activities are data, facts and modelling, policy briefs and training programmes on the energy transition.
Ukrainian Deputy Minister at Ministry for Energy, Yaroslav Demchenkov, states: "The future of Ukraine and its people lies in the EU. In particular, the professional training as well as the cooperation for the modernisation and reconstruction of the energy sector is crucial. I welcome the trilateral project that will be very beneficial for my country.”
Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger emphasises: “Germany supports Ukraine at all levels: civilian, military and also in meeting the requirements for EU accession negotiations. The hard-hit energy sector in particular must be rebuilt and made sustainable. Germany has outstanding expertise in this area, which we are happy to share with Ukraine. The Green Deal Ukraina is therefore an important contribution in several respects".
Professor Dr Bernd Rech, Scientific Director of Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) says: "Our research at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin aims to develop new technologies for a sustainable transformation of the energy sector. In close cooperation with our colleagues from Poland and Ukraine, we want to contribute to the 'Green Deal Ukraina' project in order to jointly and rapidly develop solutions for the future energy system of Ukraine and to advance their implementation".
The project will also be represented at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London (21-22 June 2023). It will be presented to the public in Kyiv in September 2023.
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin: We are developing materials for new types of solar cells and have already set several efficiency world records. We are researching materials for energy storage, such as batteries. A major focus is on innovative materials for catalysis to produce climate-neutral green hydrogen or to convert CO2 into valuable raw materials. We analyse quantum materials for energy-efficient information technologies. We operate the X-ray source BESSY II, which provides state-of-the-art instruments for our researchers and for some 3000 visitors from all over the world every year. With 1200 employees and an annual budget of around 150 million euros, we are one of the biggest research institutions in Berlin. The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin is a member of the Helmholtz Association, Germany's largest research organisation.
More: www.helmholtz-berlin.de
The Helmholtz Association: The challenges of our time can only be solved with the help of cutting-edge research. At Helmholtz, some 45,000 people are working to shape the world of tomorrow. In 18 centres and with research infrastructures that are unique in the world.
More: www.helmholtz.de
- A new way to control the magnetic properties of rare earth elementsThe special properties of rare earth magnetic materials are due to the electrons in the 4f shell. Until now, the magnetic properties of 4f electrons were considered almost impossible to control. Now, a team from HZB, Freie Universität Berlin and other institutions has shown for the first time that laser pulses can influence 4f electrons- and thus change their magnetic properties. The discovery, which was made through experiments at EuXFEL and FLASH, opens up a new way to data storage with rare earth elements.
- BESSY II shows how solid-state batteries degradeSolid-state batteries have several advantages: they can store more energy and are safer than batteries with liquid electrolytes. However, they do not last as long and their capacity decreases with each charge cycle. But it doesn't have to stay that way: Researchers are already on the trail of the causes. In the journal ACS Energy Letters, a team from HZB and Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, presents a new method for precisely monitoring electrochemical reactions during the operation of a solid-state battery using photoelectron spectroscopy at BESSY II. The results help to improve battery materials and design.
- From waste to value: The right electrolytes can enhance glycerol oxidationWhen biomass is converted into biodiesel, huge amounts of glycerol are produced as a by-product. So far, however, this by-product has been little utilised, even though it could be processed into more valuable chemicals through oxidation in photoelectrochemical reactors. The reason for this: low efficiency and selectivity. A team led by Dr Marco Favaro from the Institute for Solar Fuels at HZB has now investigated the influence of electrolytes on the efficiency of the glycerol oxidation reaction. The results can help to develop more efficient and environmentally friendly production processes.