Leveraging the Technology Platform Partnership

Professors Anna Grevé and Christian Doetsch tour the lab of Future Energy Systems Principal Investigator Ryan Li.

Last November, the University of Alberta signed a Technology Platform Partnership with Germany’s €2.1 billion, 69-institute Fraunhofer Society. This week, Professors Christian Doetsch and Anna Grevé from Fraunhofer UMSICHT visited Edmonton for meetings to discuss current research and potential opportunities for further collaboration.

Fraunhofer UMSICHT is already working with Future Energy Systems on the project Biobattery – Decentralized Production of Fuel from Forest and Agricultural Waste, led by Principal Investigator Amit Kumar. As part of that project, plans are being finalized for Thermo-Catalytic Reforming (TCR®) technology developed by Professor Andreas Hornung to be delivered to Alberta for testing with a variety of biomass feedstocks.

Another joint research project is also under consideration, with Future Energy Systems Principal Investigators Ryan Li and Petr Musilek participating in discussions about the testing of a Redox Flow Battery for large-scale renewable energy storage. During the visit, Dr. Li led a tour of his current lab, and previewed the upcoming Future Smart Grids Technology Lab which recently received CFI funding.  

As part of their visit, Doetsch and Grevé also delivered a public seminar that provided an overview of the Fraunhofer Society and outlined five research projects currently underway at Fraunhofer UMSICHT. Through interactions with Future Energy Systems researchers in the audience, this presentation helped identify potential areas for future joint research, and also explored methods of collaboration such as graduate student exchanges.

Future Energy Systems will continue to pursue opportunities for collaboration with leading international research organizations like the Fraunhofer Society. For the latest information about our research, click here.