Outstanding innovations at the 2023 German Renewables Awards
The REH Cluster Agency held the 12th German Renewables Awards ceremony on 21 November and presented awards for six categories.
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(Will be hidden in the published article)Project of the Year category
“This topic is definitely one for the future, as it provides a simple way for winegrowers to generate additional income. And it helps to make viticulture possible in our regions here in southern Germany – despite climate change”, says Edgar Gimbel to describe his winning Vino PV project with 300 kWp. He developed new system technologies in the ground-mounted PV segment and is bringing them to market maturity. Five companies submitted entries in the Project of the Year category.
Product Innovation of the Year category
“We are thrilled to have won the prize for the Recycling Template. Recycling is an innovation that changes markets. And it changes the market in our sector as well. But it is also an innovation that helps to drive change even outside the wind sector” says Dr Maximilian Schnippering, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. The RecyclableBlade uses a new type of resin that can be dissolved in a mild acid at the end of its service life. In total, six companies entered the competition in the Product Innovation of the Year category.
Student Thesis of the Year category
“What makes my paper unique is that I was able to test it on a real-life use case. I developed scenarios in collaboration with the copper producer Aurubis”, explains Nicolas Neubauer, the winner from the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. Entitled ‘Model-Based Techno-Economic Optimisation of a Grid-Serving Electrolyzer on an Industrial Scale’, his master’s thesis investigated the use of a grid-serving power-to-hydrogen plant based on water electrolysis. This hydrogen application is intended to decarbonise a sub-process at Aurubis AG in Hamburg as part of the North German Living Lab (NRL) research project. The authors of five theses entered the Student Thesis of the Year category.
Hydrogen Innovation of the Year category
“We are thrilled that our work has been recognised, which presents for the first time a practical set of criteria for the green properties of hydrogen. By doing so, we have laid the first foundation to establish an international trading system and a standard”, explains Mario Spitzmüller from the victorious TÜV Nord Group. His team submitted its entry with an expert opinion on ‘Certification and Proof of Origin for Imported Green Hydrogen and PtX Products’, which was prepared for H2 Global. There was a choice of five projects in the Hydrogen Innovation of the Year category.
Media Award of the Year category
“A brilliant report in which the Süddeutsche Zeitung journalist describes his journey along the Südlink route deploying wit, thoughtfulness and a balanced approach to chart the debate between opponents and supporters. In doing so, he stripped this German megaproject of its gargantuan scale and emphasised its standing as a vitally important contribution to supplying Germany with clean energy”, says head juror Klaus Liedtke about the article entitled “Lange Leitung” by Jan Schmidbauer in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. In total, 29 journalists submitted entries in the areas of podcast, print and television – an absolute record!
