Chris Liebold
How can the electricity supply in Thuringia be made more flexible to enable decarbonization? The new "H2-FlexiDekarb" research group at TU Ilmenau is looking into this question. We spoke to project leader Professor Dirk Westermann, Director of the Thuringian Energy Research Institute and Head of the Power Systems Group at TU Ilmenau, about the research group's objectives.
What exactly is your research about?
In our project, we are developing a dynamic model that shows how the electricity and hydrogen infrastructure in Thuringia can be intelligently connected. We are investigating various grid operation scenarios - from normal operation to island operation and grid restoration - to find out how we can bring more flexibility to the energy system. We want to show which technical, organizational and legal requirements must be met in order to make the energy supply in Thuringia reliable and climate-neutral at the same time.
Who is involved?
Together with Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Chair of Energy Systems, Prof. Dr. Mark Jentsch and Hochschule Schmalkalden, Department of Business Law, Prof. Dr. iur. Wojciech Lisiewicz as well as partners from the energy industry, system operation, hydrogen technology and regulation, we are working to bring together the different perspectives. This interdisciplinary cooperation is crucial in order to realistically map the technical aspects as well as the operational and legal framework conditions.
Why is this important?
The energy transition will only succeed if we can think about electricity and hydrogen systems together and manage them flexibly. The keyword here is system services - which are necessary to ensure that electricity is reliably available even in the event of disruptions. The results of the project provide a concept that makes the energy system more resilient.
The project, which is funded by the Free State of Thuringia, is co-financed by the European Union as part of the European Social Fund Plus.
Project title: FGR H2-FlexiDekarb - Flexibilisierung der Elektrizitätsversorgung in Thüringen zur Ermöglichung der Dekarbonisierung
Funding: January 2026 - December 2028
Further information: Project description