Welcome to the Research Group Future Energy Commodities (FEC) at the Chair of Energy Economics

from left to right: Uwe Langenmayr, Alexander Plarre, Viktor Slednev

The research group's aim is the model-based techno-economic analysis of the global conversion, storage, and transport of energy carriers along the entire process chain – from primary to final energy conversion. The focus is on existing and potential infrastructures considered in high spatial and temporal resolution. In the context of the desired transformation of the energy system towards a climate-neutral energy supply with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, the analysis mainly concentrates on the transformation path from fossil to renewable and low-carbon energy carriers. A central component is the investigation of the future hydrogen economy, starting with the global potential analysis of renewable energies for electricity-based hydrogen production and ending with its use by the end consumer. In between lies the conversion and storage of hydrogen and derived energy carriers (e.g., ammonia, methanol, reactive metals) and their transport via pipeline, ship, rail, and truck, which are investigated using mathematical optimization.
In particular, for the reduction of emissions in sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, such as industry or the transport sector (e.g. shipping and aviation), the provision of synthetic fuels as well as the capture and storage or use of CO2 – whether from the air or in the conversion process – can play a decisive role and is therefore included in the optimization. The (cross-sectoral) analysis of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions is always considered in the modeling. It plays a central role, particularly in modeling emissions trading, which is a further research focus.
Our primary methods include modeling energy systems using linear and mixed-integer optimization. In addition, heuristic optimization approaches, stochastic and robust optimizations, and mathematical decomposition methods are used. We maintain extensive exchanges with international partners from science and industry. Federal and state ministries mainly fund our research projects, as well as the European Commission and industry.