University of Braunschweig constructs research facility for the circular manufacturing and reprocessing of batteries and hydrogen cells

New Hydrogen and Energy Storage Research Centre Opens in Germany

The Technical University of Braunschweig is set to open a significant new research centre, the "Center for Circular Production of Next Batteries and Fuel Cells" (CPC), by the end of 2027. This centre is a milestone in energy storage and hydrogen research for Germany.

The CPC is part of the regional consortium "Braunschweig LabFactories for Batteries and more" (BLB+), which also includes research institutions such as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), University of Stuttgart, University of Heidelberg, University of Ulm, and the Hochschule der Medien (HdM) Stuttgart, among others in Baden-Württemberg. The consortium collaborates on innovative technology platforms.

The CPC will span 3,700 square meters and house approximately 150 scientists. TU President Angela Ittel describes the centre as a place for alchemists and curious explorers, combining knowledge, technology, and creativity. The research at the CPC will focus on solid-state batteries, flow batteries based on membranes, fuel cells, and metal-air systems.

Ittel's vision for the CPC is that where others see waste, they see resources, and where others waste energy, they protect it. The CPC's goal is to create a closed material cycle for sustainable use of valuable resources. It aims to integrate recycling and resynthesis processes into the production of new batteries and energy converters.

The CPC's location near other research institutions supports the goals of the HighTech Agenda Germany, particularly in the areas of climate-neutral mobility and competitive battery production by 2035. Ittel states that at the CPC, linear production becomes circular, and visions become reality.

Financing for the CPC comes from the Lower Saxony program "zukunft.niedersachsen", federal funds, and own funds of TU Braunschweig. The facility will be used jointly by researchers from TU Braunschweig and TU Clausthal. The CPC is budgeted at approximately 73 million euros, with 65 million coming from the federal and state governments of Lower Saxony.

Ittel emphasizes that the CPC stands for a new quality of interdisciplinary top-level research that will have impacts beyond Lower Saxony. The CPC research building consists of a four-story office wing, a technical building with two full stories, and a technical floor, all connected via a central connecting body.

The CPC's central focus is on recovering critical raw materials and processing them into high-purity active materials. It is a significant step forward in Germany's quest for sustainable and efficient energy storage and hydrogen research.