DUISBURG In Duisburg, the phase-out of coal-fired power generation and the market ramp-up of hydrogen use are to succeed. In addition to the conversion to new plants and new processes, this also requires trained employees who can handle hydrogen technology. To ensure that the green transformation in industry and logistics can be achieved in Duisburg, the city has registered the "hydrogen training center" project for the 5-location program, a state funding program for the coal phase-out.

A new education center for hydrogen technology is to be built near HKM in the south of Duisburg with funding from the state and federal government. Together with the port, KWS Energy Knowledge eG, the Center for Fuel Cell Technology (ZBT), the Association for Plant Technology and Industrial Services (VAIS), the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML and the chambers of commerce, the aim is to work with companies in the region over the next few years to determine and test which training modules are required in the various sectors and which minimum standards need to be met.

"The employees in the companies will do pioneering work in converting the plants to the new technology," says Lord Mayor Sören Link. "We therefore want to use the structural aid from the coal phase-out specifically for the retraining of employees. We are seeking approval for this from the federal and state governments." The project is needed by many companies in the steel production, manufacturing, plant engineering, energy, automotive and logistics sectors, adds Michael Rüscher, Head of Economic Affairs for the City of Duisburg, and continues: "We need to set the course today to qualify our skilled workers and thus retain them for the region and North Rhine-Westphalia as an industrial location."

The hydrogen training center is to be built on a plot of land belonging to the port in Duisburg-Angerhausen to the north of Tiger-and-Turtle. "We have already launched numerous, very concrete projects in Duisburg to drive forward the green transformation of industry. However, we not only need the infrastructure and technology to develop the region into a central hydrogen hub, but also excellently trained specialists who have mastered the technology. I am convinced that we will set new standards in training and further education in the field of hydrogen with the training center," says duisport CEO Markus Bangen. In addition, a pioneering training concept for hydrogen technologies is to be developed and tested. This project will create opportunities both to introduce existing personnel to the changed professional requirements and to train future personnel accordingly.

"As an educational platform, the hydrogen training center is intended to ensure the supply of industry and trade with skilled workers for all professional groups and different hydrogen technologies," explains Monika Bartels, CEO of KWS. This initiative is being submitted in cooperation with a consortium of renowned companies and institutions, including the ZBT - Zentrum für BrennstoffzellenTechnik, the Verband für Anlagentechnik und IndustrieService e.V. and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML.

"Targeted, high-quality training for the various professional groups will prepare specialists for the tasks of tomorrow in the field of hydrogen and fuel cells. At the same time, close cooperation between science and industry will strengthen the possibilities and opportunities for transformation in the region," says Joachim Jungsbluth, the project manager for the training center at ZBT.

"Hydrogen is a climate-friendly alternative for many industrial processes. The companies organized in VAIS develop the technologies, build the plants and ensure their reliable and safe operation. Due to the rapid pace of development, there is an enormous need to qualify existing specialist staff as well as new employees for the medium of hydrogen," explained Dr. Dietmar Kestner, Managing Director of VAIS.

"Qualified employees are the key to a successful transformation and the safe and effective use and further development of hydrogen technologies. The cooperation between industry, research, associations and chambers enables a targeted training concept for all areas along the H2 value chain," says Dr. Thomas Heller, project manager for the Fraunhofer IML.

The Lower Rhine Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Düsseldorf Chamber of Crafts and thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG support and accompany the consortium in its efforts to advance hydrogen technologies and expand educational opportunities. The City of Duisburg expects the project idea to undergo a comprehensive evaluation at the upcoming structural strengthening council meeting in October. The project consortium is confident that a positive evaluation and recommendation will be made by the Structural Strengthening Council to the state government to enable the funding of this pioneering project. With the support of local industry, chambers and trade unions, this project will lay an important foundation for sustainable development that reconciles both economic progress and environmental protection.

Author: Susanne Stölting