News
The future of energy: recommendations from science to politics
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin involved in drafting position papers on energy and materials research and circular economy:
Experts from HZB have contributed their expertise to the position papers briefly presented here. The topics include the development of innovative materials for a sustainable energy supply and the circular economy.…
Green Methanol: C1 secures another €20 million to commercialize the circular raw material of the future
Construction of a demonstration plant is scheduled to begin in 2025:
Cleantech company C1 Green Chemicals AG has successfully secured €20 million in fresh capital to bring its groundbreaking green methanol catalysis technology to market. Green methanol can be used to defossilize three…
New Young Investigator Group funded by BMBF at HZB
The physicist Dr Artem Musiienko aims to significantly accelerate the development of tin-based perovskite solar cells:
In the COMET-PV project, Dr Artem Musiienko aims to significantly accelerate the development of perovskite solar cells. He is using robotics and AI to analyse the many variations in the material composition of…
Dr. Michelle Browne receives Daimler and Benz Foundation Fellowship
At HZB, she is developing better catalysts for the production of green hydrogen:
Michelle Browne heads a Helmholtz Young Investigators Group on electrocatalysis at HZB. She has now been selected as a fellow of the Daimler and Benz Foundation. She will receive 40,000 euros over the next two years…
Magnets for smart minds
Why tech hubs will continue to be important drivers of growth:
Are technology parks becoming obsolete in an era of hybrid work? Not at all. Head to Adlershof to experience how tech hubs bring together smart minds to create thriving companies. Soon, JPT Peptide Technologies GmbH…
Dr Kathrin Goldammer becomes professor at the Berlin School of Economics and Technology
From summer semester 2025, the Managing Director of the Reiner Lemoine Institute will become a professor at the HTW Faculty Engineering – Energy and Information:
Dr. Kathrin Goldammer complements the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in Renewable Energy with many years of practical experience in the energy industry and expertise in applied energy research. Goldammer has…
Perovskite solar cells under stress test
Research team identifies thermal stresses as the key to long-term stability:
Perovskite solar cells are highly efficient and low cost in production. However, they still lack stability over the decades under real weather conditions. An international research collaboration led by Prof. Antonio…
Leading Sasol scientist appointed as Industrial Research Fellow at HZB
The closer cooperation is intended to accelerate the innovation cycle for sustainable fuel technologies:
Within the CARE-O-SENE project, HZB is cooperating with the South African company Sasol on innovative catalysts for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Now, the collaboration is intensifying: Dr. Denzil Moodley, a…
HZB Sets New World Record for CIGS Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells
CIGS-perovskite tandem cell achieves an efficiency of 26.4 %:
Combining two semiconductor thin films into a tandem solar cell can achieve high efficiencies with a minimal environmental footprint. Teams from HZB and Humboldt University Berlin have now presented a CIGS-perovskite…
The molecule splitter
Michelle Brown is working on producing green hydrogen:
Splitting water—using electrical energy to break the H₂O molecule into its gaseous components, hydrogen and oxygen, to be exact. Could this process be made cheaper, simpler, and more efficient? This question has…
Modernisation of BESSY II light source
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin presents the BESSY II+ upgrade programme:
At the 2024 meeting for the users of the electron storage ring BESSY II, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) presented the BESSY II+ upgrade programme. It enables world-class research at BESSY II to be further expanded and…
![[Translate to English:] Dr. Kazuki Morita (links), Dr. Qingping Wu (rechts), HZB Berlin](/fileadmin/_processed_/f/4/csm_hzb-fellows_afc8411f23.webp)
Two Humboldt-Fellows join HZB
Kazuki Morita and Qingping Wu contribute their expertise in materials and energy research at HZB:
In 2024, two young scientists joined HZB as Humboldt Fellows. Kazuki Morita joined Prof. Antonio Abate's group and brings his expertise in modelling and data analysis to solar energy research. Qingping Wu is an expert…
Community-driven mini-grids in Nigeria
RLI research project shows ways to sustainably electrify rural regions:
In the project ‘Communities of Practice Nigeria’ (CP Nigeria), researchers from Reiner Lemoine Institute (RLI), together with experts from partner organizations, have developed results for the promotion of clean and…
Why an economical Iridium catalyst works so well
An HZB team revealed that the special chemical environment in the P2X catalyst promotes water splitting during electrolysis:
Iridium-based catalysts are needed to produce hydrogen using water electrolysis. Now, a team at HZB has shown that the newly developed P2X catalyst, which requires only a quarter of the Iridium, is as efficient and…
High-performance charging for e-buses in public transport also possible without grid expansion
Successful outcome of the ‘Buffered-HLL’ pilot project for energy- and cost-efficient charging with flywheel mass storage systems:
The nationwide pioneering pilot project ‘Buffered-HLL’ for energy- and cost-efficient high-performance charging with flywheel mass storage for electric buses in local public transport successfully concludes its…
Hydrogen: Breakthrough in alkaline membrane electrolysers
Research team developed a highly efficient and very inexpensive AEM electrolyser:
A team from the Technical University of Berlin, HZB, IMTEK (University of Freiburg) and Siemens Energy has developed a highly efficient alkaline membrane electrolyser that approaches the performance of established PEM…
International alliance for reproducibility of perovskite solar cells
TEAM PV to drive further development and comparability of low-cost solar modules:
Ten teams at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin are building a long-term international alliance to converge practices and develop reproducibility and comparability in perovskite materials. The TEAM PV project is funded by the…
Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech appointed to the Energy Research Advisory Council
HZB‘s Scientific Director will advise the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK) on the direction of its energy research policy:
The Federal Minister of Economics Affairs and Climate Action, Robert Habeck, has appointed an advisory board to advise the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK) on the energy research programme.…
HZB's Photovoltaic living lab reaches the 100 Megawatt-hour mark
The solar facades of the building in Adlershof provide insights into building-integrated photovoltaics:
About three years ago, the living laboratory at HZB went into operation. Since then, the photovoltaic facade has been generating electricity from sunlight. On September 27, 2024, it reached the milestone of 100…
MXenes show talent as catalyst for the production of green hydrogen
This class of materials is more stable and efficient than the best metal oxide catalysts currently available:
The MXene class of materials has many talents. An international team led by HZB chemist Michelle Browne has now demonstrated that MXenes, properly functionalised, are excellent catalysts for the oxygen evolution…