We develop the key enabling technologies for sustainability & circular economy. These technologies make it possible to close the anthropogenic material cycles of carbon, minerals and metals independently of fossil sources and energies.These technologies enable compact, efficient applications in energy, industry, research, and mobility for society in times of climate crisis. 

Resource and Energy Efficiency

Resources and Energy Efficiency develops and evaluates resource- and energy-efficient
technologies and concepts for metal-, mineral- and carbon-rich resources, superconductive
energy applications
, and energy-intensive industrial processes in order to contribute to a future climate-neutral (carbon-neutral) circular economy.

One of the keys for a sustainable future of human society will be the sustainable use of resources.

Yet, this is a particularly challenging task especially as resources and energy are inextricably linked in the circular economy (CE). The resources life cycle supplies all materials and feedstocks to meet society‘s need of primary (i.e. geogenic or biogenic) or secondary (i.e. end-of-life or anthropogenic) resources. This includes materials needed to establish and maintain the infrastructure of the renewable energy system of the future. In return, the energy system supplies the power to drive the global system of material flows. Beneficial interaction of these systems is especially necessary due to the inherently fluctuating nature of dominating renewable energy sources (i.e. sun and wind) requiring maximum flexibility and energy efficiency of energy intensive industries.

Today, Germany’s industrial sector is responsible for ca. 30 % of the national energy demand including more than 40 % of Germany’s electrical power consumption.

The Topic “Resource and Energy Efficiency” thus has its focus on the nexus between energy and resource systems, providing solutions for a sustainable CE within the context of an energy system based on renewable energy sources as stipulated by the UN Sustainable Development Goals #7, 11 and 12.

The topic has the goal to maximize resource and energy efficiency by, among others, closing raw material loops, using currently unutilized residues and wastes as resources while maximizing energy efficiency. This includes the embodied energy (i.e. exergy) of the infrastructure built to sustain society. In other words, waste creation will be minimized to the level that it makes techno-economic sense – while taking into account the hierarchical approach to waste (prevent, re-use, recycle, recover, disposal) in the Circular Economy package of the European Union.

KIT focus Resource & Energy Efficiency

Anthropogenic Carbon Cycle
Anthropogenic Carbon Cycle
Metals & Minerals Cycle
Metals & Minerals Cycle

Supraleitendes Spulensystem KIT
High-Temperature Superconductivity

News

Congress #KEEF22 in Berlin on Energy Efficiency; Energy Efficiency Research for Industry was discussed by 250  participants at the Tagungswerk Berlin organized by accompanying research EE4InG and PTJ on behalf of BMWK.KIT
Congress #KEEF22 in Berlin on Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency Research for Industry was discussed by 250  participants at the Tagungswerk Berlin organized by accompanying research EE4InG and PTJ on behalf of BMWK.

Industrial Energy Research
3 MTET Highlights @KIT innovation day NEULAND
3 MTET Highlights @ NEULAND – The innovation day at KIT

3 key topics for 2050s energy system are highlighted by Thomas Jordan, Roland Dittmeyer & Dieter Stapf together with aspects of technology transfer & business start-ups.

Register HERE! JULY 6TH 2022
3 MTET Energy Solutions at Hannover Messe 2022KIT
3 MTET Energy Solutions at Hannover Messe 2022

KIT's startup ICODOS, the Carbon CycleLab & NECOC provide solutions for circular economy of plastics, NET ZERO technology & efficient P2X technogy.

KIT news
Plastics Recycling & Circular (Carbon) Economy were the key topics of the visit of Harald Ebner, Member of the German Bundestag and Chairman of the Committee for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety & Consumer Protection at KIT.KIT
Plastics Recycling & Circular (Carbon) Economy

were key topics of the visit of Harald Ebner, MP and Chairman of the Committee for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety & Consumer Protection at KIT.

Energy Campus 2021Privat
Damaris Krust wins Energy Campus 2021

with her work "Microalgae in the electric chair" on energy-efficient extraction of Alge Chlorella proteins using bioelectric methods.

website Foundation Energy & Climate Protection in German
Chlorella-vulgaris KIT Mikroalgen
Biotechnology: Microalgae under shock

New method developed at KIT: Electrical pulses can be used to extract high-quality nutrients from algae in an energy-efficient way

KIT news in German
Lothar Späth Award
ITC & ARCUS Greencycling Tech. win Lothar Späth Award 2021 for

chem. recycling of mixed plastic waste - currently non-recyclable on industrial scale. Pyrolysis oil to be used directly in industry. 1st industrial test plant at Industriepark Höchst...

PI Herrenknecht.com
 StoRIES – Storage Research Infrastructure Eco-System kicks off on 25 November in Ulm, Germany
StoRIES kicks off on 25 November in Ulm, Germany

Storage Research Infrastructure Eco-System, the 4 year H2020 project funded by EU Commission is led by KIT. Read the full...Press release

StoRIES website
Enabling Net Zero: a new Graduate School at KIT
Enabling Net Zero - What is it all about?

Supervisors & students of all KIT faculties from energy research are invited to this event to learn about  research topics, quali concept, & how to become active ENZo member

more
NET ZERO 2050 WEB ATLAS
NET ZERO 2050 WEB ATLAS

...shows project results that are important for CO2 neutral Germany up to 2050. Net-Zero-2050 is intended to promote the public & political debate on CO2 neutrality on various levels.

https://atlas.netto-null.org/
From research 2 application - with green H2 to climate neutrality

9 MTET speakers/co-authors from KIT participate & show how fossil GHG emissions can be reduced to zero in 10-20 years including green H2 technologies.

FVEE website
Wissenschaftliche Begleitforschung deckt Energieforschungsbedarfe in Industrie und Gewerbe auf; EE4InG, Energieeffizienz
EE4InG Project Uncovers Demand for Energy Research in Industry & Trade

EE4InG researchers, representatives from BMWi & Projektträger Jülich met for the final meeting at the ETA factory of TU Darmstadt.

More (in German)
4th DOC2021 Doctoral Colloquium Bioenergy was organized on September 13-14, 2021 by the Institute of Catalysis Research and Technology (IKFT) of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) A. Böhm, KIT
4th Doctoral Colloquium Bioenergy at KIT | DOC2021

...serves qualification of young scientists & offers the opportunity for networking, scientific exchange of the latest results & progress in all areas along the biomass conversion chain.

more
KIT participates in all 3 BMBF Hydrogen Flagship Projects: H2Mare, H2Giga, TransHyDEBreig, KIT
KIT participates in all 3 BMBF Hydrogen Flagship Projects

H2Mare, H2Giga, TransHyDE: Research to accelerate production, transport, and utilization of green hydrogen in the MTET program.

KIT news (in German)
reFuels suitable for general useKIT
reFuels Are Suitable for Wide Use

Field tests show positive results for exhaust emissions - Life cycle assessment (LCA) shows significant CO2 reduction potential of reFuels

KIT press release (in German)
reFuels @Effekte Festival Karlsruhe
reFuels - Panel Discussion @Effekte Festival 2021

How we will move from A to B in a CO2-neutral way is a fundamental question for the future. The project "reFuels - rethinking fuels" is one of the building blocks to find a solution.

more
KIT bioliq plant is featured on the cover of the current CIT issueKIT
KIT bioliq plant featured on cover of the current CIT issue

The Special Issue deals with Circular Economy as a key topic in Chemical Reaction Engineering.  A study shows how artificial neural networks are used to model the direct synthesis of DME.

more@ Chem. Ing. Tech.
In the future, the University of Hohenheim will conduct joint research at its biorefinery pilot plant with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).M. Kovalenko Uni Hohenheim
Biorefinery on the Farm of the Future - Closing Cycles on Site

KIT & UHOH research in a joint pilot plant - residual biomass can be refined into new materials & energy sources. The biorefinery farm aims at economic & sustainable tech solutions on site.

more
In the bioliq facility at KIT's North Campus, AI methods are used to optimize production processes.Bramsiepe, KIT
AI: More efficient production processes - algorithms do the job

Process plants of small and medium-sized enterprises could save costs and reduce their emissions with the help of artificial intelligence.

AI methods used @ bioliq facility
Update Workshop of the Cross-Cutting Activity BioeconomyB. Schäfer, KIT
Update Workshop of the Cross-Cutting Activity Bioeconomy

Scientists from UFZ Leipzig, FZ Jülich & KIT have presented research results on the bioeconomy to join forces in a network of future activities.

SOMA @UFZ Leipzig
Bioeconomy was the subject of KIT's 2021 anniversary celebrationKIT
Bioeconomy was the subject of KIT's 2021 anniversary celebration

Almuth Arneth, Christine Rösch & Jörg Sauer discussed the contributions of sustainable bioeconomy for a CO2-neutral society.

more @youtube @31:30 min
The KIT with reFuels in “Energy Solutions“ @Hannover Messe 2021
reFuels is an “Energy Solution“ of KIT @Hannover Messe 21

On 14.04.2021 | 10:30 - 10:55 we will present our most important exhibits on the topic "Energy Solutions" in a live stream. One of them is reFuels with news on renewable fuels (yt in 150s).

What is CO2-neutral mobility?
Project KickOff: Solar H2 - Pure and Compressed
Helmholtz KickOff Meeting: March, 5 2021, 3-5 pm

KIT scientists & Helmholtz colleagues are jointly investigating solar-based production pathways of H2 regarding required pressure & purity of various applications.

 Markus Breig, KIT
KIT and Audi Work on Recycling Method for Automotive Plastics

Closed cycles: Engineering plastic waste can first be converted into pyrolysis oil and then into new plastic materials.

more
 NKT Cables Group
Stromtransport: Das längste Hochspannungs-Supraleiterkabel der Welt

In München soll das längste Supraleiterkabel der Welt realisiert und wirtschaftlich eingesetzt werden. Das KIT ist an dem Projekt beteiligt.

more