New research project on underground energy storage in Lower Saxony

On October 14, 2024, in the presence of Lower Saxony’s Minister of Science Falko Mohrs, the launch of the research program “Transformation of the Lower Saxony Energy System (TEN.efzn)” was announced; the program was proposed by a total of 15 universities, universities of applied sciences, and non-university research institutions in Lower Saxony under the umbrella of the EFZN – the Lower Saxony Energy Research Center – by a total of 15 Lower Saxony universities, universities of applied sciences, and non-university research institutions. The TEN.efzn research program is structured into six closely interlinked research platforms that bring together the key strengths of Lower Saxony’s energy research and, in addition, open up new innovative fields of research.

With the approval of the research program, the “Geoenergy Systems” research platform, coordinated by Clausthal University of Technology, also began its work. In this subproject, the use of geoenergy systems for effective and sustainable energy supply with renewable energies is to be demonstrated using the example of an existing site in the Hanover region. To this end, the scientific expertise of the participating institutions in the areas of exploration, modeling, development, and management of georeservoirs is being brought together in an interdisciplinary and cross-site team. The use of georeservoirs includes heat supply via geothermal energy as well as energy and material storage in the form of hydrogen. In addition to these technical issues, the research platform also conducts economic feasibility and risk assessments and addresses the social dynamics associated with the research question, as well as aspects of education and training.

A total of ten professors and postdocs from Clausthal University of Technology (TU Clausthal), Leibniz University Hannover, Georg-August University of Göttingen, the Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics, and the ISFH – Institute for Solar Energy Research Hameln have joined forces with their respective research groups.

With its innovative and interdisciplinary approach, the project is integrated into the strategic research agenda of the Drilling Simulator Celle, which brings together the research groups at TU Clausthal and supports collaboration with external partners using its own resources.

Further information on the project: https://www.efzn.de/nachrichtendetail/start-ten-efzn-programm