The Quarree 100 project was inaugurated in Heide, Schleswig-Holstein, on 26 February. The aim of the EUR 24 million flagship project, funded over five years by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is to develop sustainable and robust energy supply for the future tested under practice-like conditions.

Hence, a model is to be developed by 2022 in the Heide district of Rüsdorfer Kamp, with its 1950s and ‘60s buildings, in collaboration with citizens, urban planners, energy experts, companies and research institutes. The model is also to be rolled out in other cities later on. An inherent characteristic of this will be the exemplary and efficient coupling of the electricity, heat and mobility sectors – for which the storing of energy surpluses in electrochemical storage tanks is essential.

One component of the field trial carried out as part of Quarree 100 in a 20-hectare area will, for instance, be a refuelling station, where electricity from renewable energy sources can be directly supplied to electric cars – assisted by a giant battery with the ability to absorb surplus capacity. Any excess electricity will be converted into hydrogen for fuel-cell cars by the multi-energy fuel dispenser. If this and the hydrogen storage tank intended for this are not sufficient to hold the entire supply of hydrogen, then the surplus hydrogen will be converted into methane for refuelling natural gas-operated cars.

Quarree 100 is one of six projects being funded as part of the 6th Energy Research Programme’s “Solar Construction/Energy-Efficient City Initiative”. The Institute for Advanced Energy Systems (AES) of the University of Bremen is the project coordinator.