Institute for Decarbonisation with a focus on hydrogen

Degree programmes: FHM degree programmes: Bachelor (B.Eng.)

1. Programme development
2. Programme accreditation
3. Pick and Study modules for skills development
4. Academic commitment to the development and provision of hydrogen technology

1. Developing a cross-regional awareness of hydrogen as a green energy source
2. Exchange of best practices (use cases) between businesses
3. Cross-sector programme offerings to support sustainability (with a focus on SMEs)
4. Training programmes for SMEs – based on local planning for the implementation of skills development

As a key technology, hydrogen will play an important role in the climate-friendly transformation of the economy. Whilst the electricity demand of industry, technological infrastructure and society is expected to multiply in the coming years, there is a local imbalance between future capacity and demand. Action is also needed here for the district of Düren as an industrial region, with its energy-intensive sectors, such as the paper industry. Renewable energies are subject to volatility, meaning that resources such as wind and sun are only available in fluctuating quantities. This leads to the need for energy transport, energy storage and energy imports. Hydrogen is of particular importance here whenever long-distance transport, long-term storage, high energy densities, high temperatures and chemical reactions are required. With a focus on the energy transition and successor technologies for coal-fired power, on new mobility concepts and future technologies, and thus also on the creation of new jobs, hydrogen is a key priority in the region, intended to secure the industrial future of the Düren district.

The Düren district has been strategically and systematically positioning itself as a model region for hydrogen for many years and serves as a role model in the context of structural change. Through comprehensive, interlinked measures that contribute sustainably and innovatively to the goal of climate neutrality by 2035, the district is forging a path as a producer of green hydrogen, with the aim of subsequently making this new technology available to businesses and implementing it as a model project for citizens.

In the field of research and development, the FHM is already involved in a hydrogen project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, aimed at establishing inter-municipal links between the municipality of Kalletal and the district of Herford. The project aims, within two years, to develop a forward-looking concept designed to serve as a solution for sectoral energy collaboration involving the respective businesses. The key components are, on the one hand, the direct energy transfer between the municipality of Kalletal and the district of Herford and, on the other hand, the integration of Kalletal’s sustainability strategy with the business network of the district of Herford.

The defining essence of the Institute for Decarbonisation with a Focus on Hydrogen at the Multi-University Campus Düren lies in the inseparable link between technology and the economy. In this way, the Institute becomes an integral part of the Düren district’s transformative initiative, which drives sustainable development, economic growth and technological renewal in the region. The Institute itself aims to be a beacon of education, inspiration and innovation, utilising hydrogen technologies primarily in the industrial sector, for example in the paper and chemical industries. But also in the fields of mobility and building management. Through research, education and public engagement, it will contribute to a greener and cleaner future in the Düren district and drive forward economic structural change.

The institute is to initially develop and offer a Bachelor of Engineering degree programme as a non-autonomous higher education institution. In the second key area of knowledge transfer, the focus is on educational target groups who are not seeking a university degree but are looking for qualifications at various levels. The planned degree programme is intended to equip students with the technological knowledge and management skills that lead to the best possible employability and also optimally prepare the skilled workers urgently needed in the region for their fields of employment.

A preliminary outline of the degree programme leading to a B.Eng. in Industrial Engineering includes the following curriculum:

Management Skills

• Economics
• Business Administration
• Accounting
• Business Law
• Business Plan Development & Digital Business Models
• Marketing & Sales

Professional Skills

• Mathematics for Technical & Economic Applications
• Mechanics & Electrical Engineering
• Chemistry & Materials Science
• Thermodynamics
• Fluid Mechanics
• Measurement & Control Engineering
• Digitalisation & Automation
• Machine Elements
• Sustainability: Environmental & Process Engineering, Operational Energy & Material Flow Management
• CAD for Industrial Engineers
• Hydrogen Technology
• Energy Technology
• Hydrogen Technology: Production, Distribution & Infrastructure
• Application of decarbonisation technologies for energy-intensive small and medium-sized enterprises
• Application of decarbonisation technologies in industrial processes
• Decarbonisation management

Smart.Skills

• Technical English & Business English
• Self-management & Self-marketing
• Team management
• Presentation & Facilitation
• Agile project management
• Practical study (SiP)
• Academic work

The Institute for Decarbonisation, with a focus on hydrogen, is to be established with a core team comprising an endowed professorship at the FHM and a half-time research assistant post. Teaching will also be provided by other professors and lecturers.