In his bachelor thesis at the Chair of Electrical Energy Supply Technology at the University of Wuppertal, supervised by Prof Dr Markus Zdrallek, Bachhausen addressed the challenge of making Germany CO₂-neutral by 2045. An important part of this strategy is the use of green hydrogen, which is obtained from renewable energy through electrolysis in order to decarbonise industrial processes in particular. This requires a national transport infrastructure for hydrogen to connect the production and consumption sites. In his bachelor thesis, Bachhausen analyses assumptions about hydrogen demand and production as well as the planned infrastructure to determine whether it can meet future requirements and which grid bottlenecks need to be eliminated.

His conclusion: "Even if the majority of the planned electrolyser sites are located in areas with existing gas transport infrastructure, a considerable increase in the planned hydrogen transport infrastructure will be required to integrate the planned hydrogen electrolysis capacity. In the northern part of Germany in particular, the planned hydrogen transport infrastructure must be strengthened by expansion measures in order to be able to transport the hydrogen produced there."

"At a time when the challenges in science and technology are constantly increasing, it is of the utmost importance to promote young scientists and their innovative strength. We are deeply impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment of the young researchers and the remarkably high quality of the work submitted, which not only deals with theoretical principles but also offers practical solutions," explains Dr Andreas Olbrich, CEO of FGH e.V. This year's three winners will each receive 1,000 euros in prize money.