ZEISS Honours Christine Heume for Hydrogen Research
Christine Heume, a doctoral student at the Institute of Energy Technologies (IET-1) at Forschungszentrum Jülich, has received the Young Researcher Award Europe from ZEISS. The award recognises her work on the degradation of electrolysers – a key technology for the production of green hydrogen.
The ZEISS Young Researcher Award Europe is aimed at doctoral students and postdocs who use innovative analytical methods for future topics in energy and materials research.
As part of the H2Giga/DERIEL hydrogen flagship project, Christine Heume is addressing one of the most pressing technical problems for ramping up green hydrogen production: the ageing of electrolysers, also known as degradation.
Key technology for green hydrogen
Electrolysers can split water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable energy – a process that is crucial for the storage of renewable energies and a climate-neutral energy supply.
Using high-resolution imaging techniques such as X-ray computed tomography (XCT), ion beam FIB/scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Christine Heume and her colleagues were able to observe the formation of novel microstructures in the membrane of electrolysers.
The tiny column-like filaments consist of iridium – the noble metal is used as a catalyst in electrolysers. The formations occur during operation and can impair the efficiency of the systems, a phenomenon that was previously largely unknown.
The DERIEL (De-Risking PEM Electrolyser) project is investigating the ageing mechanisms of various electrolyser components under conditions that are as realistic as possible. To this end, a megawatt-scale PEM electrolyser stack was put into operation at Forschungszentrum Jülich in collaboration with Siemens Energy. For the first time, a full-scale electrolyser module has been equipped with measurement technology to enable various processes to be investigated during operation.
In summer 2025, Christine Heume won the Science Slam ‘H2 ahoi!’ organised by the German hydrogen flagship projects, which took place on board the exhibition ship MS Wissenschaft. The winning presentation can be viewed in the video (in German).
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ZEISS Honours Christine Heume for Hydrogen Research, source
