New Gases Innovation Award: Hydrogen Innovations Receive Recognition

• Five awards were presented: four projects were selected by the jury, and one was chosen by the public.
• In addition to the winners in the three categories of Production, Transport and Infrastructure, and Application Technologies, the jury awarded a special prize.
• Jury Chairman Prof Dr Behrendt: “The awarded projects make innovations in the field of New Gases tangible for the general public and send positive signals to the hydrogen market.”

Under the patronage of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, represented by Till Mansmann, Innovation Commissioner for "Green Hydrogen" at the BMBF, the New Gases Innovation Award was presented yesterday in Berlin. The award is supported by the three industry associations BDEW, DVGW, and Zukunft Gas, as well as the competence partner ASUE. VNG supports the award as a partner.

This year, Schaeffler AG's innovative coating, RWE Gas Storage West GmbH's hydrogen storage, and SCHOTT AG's new glass production process were recognized with the New Gases Innovation Award. The jury also awarded a special prize to a regional alliance from the Rhine-Main area for a visionary planning concept. For the first time, a public award was also presented, with online voting held in October.

Over 100 projects applied for the award this year in the categories of Production, Transport and Infrastructure, and Application Technologies. Among the many entries, the jury, led by Prof. Dr. Frank Behrendt, Dean of the Faculty of Process Sciences at TU Berlin, selected a total of four projects.

"The large number of applications this year shows the current momentum in the market. Innovative ideas are urgently needed to meet the challenges associated with achieving climate goals," explains Prof. Dr. Frank Behrendt, Jury Chairman. "Companies are investing significant creativity and effort into advancing gas applications to prepare them for the future. The awarded projects reflect this and also make a significant contribution to ramping up the hydrogen market."

Award Winners by Category:

Production

Innovative Coatings for H2 Applications
Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG

The noble metal-free Enertect coatings enable more cost-effective production of bipolar plates with up to 75 percent lower CO2 footprint, enhancing the efficiency of fuel cells and electrolyzers. These novel coatings are expected to lead to a significant cost reduction in hydrogen production, contributing equally to advancing the energy transition and ramping up the hydrogen economy.

Transport and Infrastructure

H2 Storage Epe
RWE Gas Storage West GmbH

The H2 Storage Epe by RWE Gas Storage West enables efficient underground hydrogen storage in salt caverns to ensure a consistent supply even during low-output periods. The project stands out for meeting the energy market's requirements at scale and demonstrates a high level of ambition, including integration into the overall system.

Application Technologies

100% Hydrogen in Glass Production
SCHOTT AG

SCHOTT became the first company to successfully produce optical specialty glass at an industrial scale using 100 percent hydrogen. The project is a shining example of German industry’s power to decarbonize production processes. It also shows that hydrogen is urgently needed in industry, sending a positive signal to the emerging hydrogen market.

The jury’s special prize went to the Rh2ein-Main Connect project, recognized as a visionary regional planning project. The joint project by ENTEGA AG, Mainova AG, ESWE Versorgungs AG, Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden AG, e-netz Südhessen AG, NRM Netzdienste Rhein-Main GmbH, Open Grid Europe GmbH, and GASCADE Gastransport GmbH demonstrates the importance of regional players in scaling up the hydrogen market. The strong alliance of regional companies links industrial and commercial supply with neighborhood supply, taking on the critical task of transforming the gas distribution network and connecting it to the hydrogen core network.

Throughout October, votes for the public award were cast for all nine nominated projects, with a total of 4,181 votes received. The winner was the H2 Storage Epe project by RWE Gas Storage West GmbH, which was also selected by the jury in the Transport and Infrastructure category. That this project was also chosen by the public reflects the importance of building hydrogen infrastructure, including storage.

All awarded projects send positive signals to the hydrogen market and highlight the role of new gases. Only with green electrons and green molecules will it be possible to build a climate-neutral and energy-secure system.