Hydrogen plays a central role in the energy transition. The gas is mainly produced with the help of electrolysers. This process requires critical raw materials such as platinum group metals, rare earths or nickel as catalysts. Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF), an institute of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), have now been able to reco­ver these functional materials using innovative flotation processes and liquid-liquid particle se­paration, thus returning them to the material cycle. The research is part of the H2Giga lead project of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), which is investigating the longevity and recyclability of hydrogen electrolysers.

An event organized by the Wir! alliance recomine with exciting keynotes, project results from the alliance and interesting excursions in Freiberg and the Ore Mountains.

The Freiberg Short Course in Economic Geology celebrates its 20th anni­versary and will pay tribute to the ore deposits of the Variscan orogeny with the topic: Mineral Systems and Metals Endowment of the Variscan Orogeny. The event will be held at the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology.

One of the challenges confronting our society today is the sustainable use of our resources. To reco­ver raw materials energy efficiently we strive to develop a research infrastructure that serves as platform for a new generation of adaptive, flexible, and digital ­techno­logies for the processing and recycling.