Sustainable Catalytic Processes – Projects

Green ammonia as a decentralized, cross-sector energy vector for the German energy transition

The Fraunhofer flagship project researches ammonia as an energy vector for the transportation of hydrogen. The Fraunhofer Institutes UMSICHT, ICT, IGB, IKTS, IML, IMM, IMW and ITWM are looking at the entire value chain, taking advantage of the fact that ammonia already has a global transport infrastructure due to fertilizer production.

Cost-effective carbon dioxide conversion into chemicals

Processes to utilize the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO₂) will be a central building block of a future climate-neutral and resource-efficient circular economy. Researchers from Fraunhofer IGB have developed and validated such a process chain in collaboration with partners from academia and industry in the course of the EU-funded project CELBICON.

Conversion of CO₂ from South African coal-fired power plants into multiple commodity streams using green ammonia and hydrogen

To ensure that coal can be used in the most environmentally friendly way possible until the complete transition to renewable energies, the CoalCO₂-X™ program aims to harness the components of the flue gas for the circular production of products such as diesel and fertilizers. The synthesis of green ammonia is being demonstrated by the IGB.

CO₂-based electrosynthesis of ethylene oxide

The goal of CO₂EXIDE is the establishment of an electrochemical, energy-efficient and near-to CO₂-neutral process for the production of the bulk chemical ethylene from CO₂, water and renewable energy. One of the central steps is the development of a new type of electrolyzer that enables a simultaneous reaction on both anode and cathode, which is more efficient in terms of energy and resources.

Renewable electricity-based, cyclic and economic production of fuel

The aim of the EU project EcoFuel is to develop the next generation of renewable fuels produced from CO₂ using renewable energies. To this end, the project consortium aims to demonstrate a novel end-to-end process chain that significantly improves energy efficiency in the electrochemical production of synthetic fuel from CO₂ and water.

Electrobiocatalytic cascade for bulk reduction of CO₂ to CO coupled to fermentative production of high value diamine monomers

ECOMO unites bioelectrocatalysis, biohybrid materials sciences, organic synthesis, technical microbiology, and process engineering for CO gas fermentation to acetate and a subsequent fermentative production of diamines.

Evolutionary bioeconomic processes – Integrative use of material flows to produce optimized materials for innovative products in bioeconomic process cycles

Production processes lead to harmful emissions and non-recyclable waste and wastewater. In the EVOBIO project, process concepts were therefore developed and exemplarily demonstrated in order to be able to utilize material flows, materials and products completely – in resource-conserving process cycles and through reuse without residues.

Technologies for the wastewater treatment plant of the future

Green methanol can be produced easily from CO₂ and renewable energy. The joint research project EVOBIO, funded by the BMBF and Fraunhofer, was continued in the follow-up project EVOBIO-Demo by a Fraunhofer consortium consisting of the Fraunhofer institutes IGB, UMSICHT and IMW. Here, the focus is on the further development of a biotechnological production route for an organic acid from methanol.

Shaping the Future of Green Chemistry by Process Intensification and Digitalization

Global challenges in climate protection and resource efficiency, coupled with societal demands for a green, sustainable chemistry, have led the chemical industry to set ambitious goals for defossilizing its production processes and establishing a circular, climate-neutral material and energy conversion.

Production of green ammonia in Morocco

As a "Power-to-X" product, green ammonia contributes significantly to the coupling of various sectors, helping to create a stable renewable energy landscape. The Green Ammonia project started on behalf of the Moroccan fertilizer manufacturer OCP and in collaboration with Fraunhofer IMWS, with a focus on evaluating new technologies for the sustainable production of ammonia.

Advanced Carbon Materials from Biowaste: Sustainable Pathways to Drive Innovative Green Technologies

The EU-funded Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions – Innovative Training Networks provides career development and training opportunities for 14 Early‑Stage Researchers and focusses on the production of carbon materials on the basis of renewable resources to further develop them as catalysts or adsorbent materials for high‑performance applications.

Electrochemical synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from water, air and renewable electric energy

In the CO₂EXIDE project Fraunhofer IGB has been working on an electrochemical process for the production of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), an environmentally friendly oxidant widely used in the chemical industry. The process is being further developed and demonstrated in the EU-funded follow-up project POWER₂HYPE.