Germany on the road to net zero: a new Web Atlas shows the options
Which technical and nature-based options as well as political decisions can support Germany in being CO2-neutral? These questions are answered by the new web atlas of the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon. The new tool is aimed at politicians, experts and the public. The HZB has also contributed to the web atlas.
Since July 2019, the Helmholtz Climate Initiative is working to congregate all expertise in the Helmholtz Research Centers on climate issues. One result is a comprehensive web atlas on which Helmholtz researchers from all disciplines have contributed. The online atlas clearly presents the current state of knowledge and is constantly updated.
The content is presented in a comprehensible way and the depth of information can be freely selected so that relevant information can be found quickly and easily. Markings indicate the three information levels "Overview", "Practice", "Background".
The atlas is divided into four chapters: Technological Lever, Decision Support Lever, Roadmaps under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Partner Centres of Net Zero-2050.
The HZB contributions are in the chapter on technological levers. Björn Rau has compiled information on building-integrated photovoltaics and Matthew Mayer has contributed to two articles on the electrochemical conversion of CO2.
Digital knowledge transfer
"The web atlas is about digital knowledge transfer," says Daniela Jacob, director of GERICS. "It acts as a showcase for the research contributions of a total of ten Helmholtz Centres that have contributed their expertise to the Net Zero 2050 project."
"The contributions of our partners are presented in two different formats such as georeferenced maps with explanatory text or as a picture story with accompanying text," explains Swantje Preuschmann from GERICS, who heads the Web Atlas project. "On the one hand, the atlas should convey scientifically based facts, but on the other hand it should also be intuitive and playful to experience."
Triggering dialogue
The tool is intended to contribute to a broad dialogue in society and facilitate the transfer of knowledge from science to actors in politics, public administration and other "climate-relevant" decision-makers. This should help to actually make Germany CO2-neutral by the middle of this century.
Further information: https://atlas.netto-null.org
- Battery research with the HZB X-ray microscopeNew cathode materials are being developed to further increase the capacity of lithium batteries. Multilayer lithium-rich transition metal oxides (LRTMOs) offer particularly high energy density. However, their capacity decreases with each charging cycle due to structural and chemical changes. Using X-ray methods at BESSY II, teams from several Chinese research institutions have now investigated these changes for the first time with highest precision: at the unique X-ray microscope, they were able to observe morphological and structural developments on the nanometre scale and also clarify chemical changes.
- BESSY II: New procedure for better thermoplasticsBio-based thermoplastics are produced from renewable organic materials and can be recycled after use. Their resilience can be improved by blending bio-based thermoplastics with other thermoplastics. However, the interface between the materials in these blends sometimes requires enhancement to achieve optimal properties. A team from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands has now investigated at BESSY II how a new process enables thermoplastic blends with a high interfacial strength to be made from two base materials: Images taken at the new nano station of the IRIS beamline showed that nanocrystalline layers form during the process, which increase material performance.
- Hydrogen: Breakthrough in alkaline membrane electrolysersA 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 electrolysers. What makes this achievement remarkable is the use of inexpensive nickel compounds for the anode catalyst, replacing costly and rare iridium. At BESSY II, the team was able to elucidate the catalytic processes in detail using operando measurements, and a theory team (USA, Singapore) provided a consistent molecular description. In Freiburg, prototype cells were built using a new coating process and tested in operation. The results have been published in the prestigious journal Nature Catalysis.