Germany: TU Hamburg, DLR team up on next-gen maritime energy systems

Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) and the DLR Institute for Maritime Energy Systems will be jointly researching maritime energy systems in an effort to support the decarbonization of the shipping industry.

Since 2014, Professor Sören Ehlers has been researching at the Technical University of Hamburg how goods will continue to reach their destination by water in the future but with as little CO2 as possible.

Since January 2022, the scientist has been appointed the new director of DLR. In the future, he wants to promote innovative technologies and the use of alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, to decarbonize shipping at the Geesthacht site.

To this end, close cooperation between TUHH and DLR is planned in order to optimally use the knowledge and know-how of both research institutions in Hamburg as a science location.

“Shipping is also facing major challenges on the way to a sustainable future. The new DLR institute complements the science location in the metropolitan region and opens up new opportunities for us to develop innovative and technological solutions together. We look forward to the cooperation,” Andreas Timm-Giel, President of the Hamburg University of Technology, said.

New energy and ship concepts

Around 80 percent of freight transport worldwide is handled by shipping. 

The DLR Institute researches and develops innovative solutions for reducing emissions, taking into account the entire energy conversion chain of maritime applications. Green hydrogen is the basis for a sustainable alternative where heavy fuel oil is used. It should preferably enable the usual comfort of long ranges and fast refueling, according to the research institute.

On the way to more sustainable shipping, Sören Ehlers first wants to test new energy and ship concepts on a laboratory scale and simulate them on a “virtual ship”.

The interaction of the new energy systems is then validated on a real ship at sea. For this purpose, the DLR Institute is building large-scale test infrastructures consisting of a test stand in the laboratory and a research ship. The work also includes the consideration of energy supply through ship transport and the port infrastructure. The close cooperation with the TU Hamburg and industry helps to transfer the scientific results into practical application.

“There are many ideas and concepts for sustainable shipping. We all have an exciting time ahead of us in which we can develop and test these innovations. The research results can help industrial companies to decide on an optimal energy system that is tailored to their application,” Sören Ehlers pointed out.