Shaping the energy transition together
The energy transition is one of the greatest challenges of our time. It affects not only electricity generation but is also transforming industry, transport, buildings, agriculture and the entire energy supply. The Lower Rhine region offers ideal conditions for this: a strong industrial base, efficient grid infrastructure, significant potential for wind and solar energy, and close cooperation between business, academia and local authorities create the best possible conditions for developing innovative solutions and putting them into practice.
Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences is actively supporting this transformation. In the ‘Renewable Energies in the Lower Rhine Region’ project, we view the energy transition as an integrated system. We do not consider topics such as renewable electricity generation, energy storage, hydrogen, battery storage, smart grids, sector coupling and the transformation of industrial processes in isolation, but rather as building blocks of a shared energy system.
Hydrogen plays an important role in this – particularly in areas where direct electrification reaches its limits. However, it is only part of the solution – one of the pieces of the jigsaw. It is only through the interplay of different technologies that a secure, economical and sustainable energy supply for the future can be achieved.
Connecting people, businesses and ideas
Our aim is to play an active role in shaping the energy transition in the Lower Rhine region and to bring together the various stakeholders. As a university, we see ourselves as an independent platform linking academia, industry, local authorities and society.
Together with businesses, public institutions, associations and regional networks, we develop ideas, initiate collaborations and support innovative projects. This leads to practical solutions that promote the transfer of knowledge and support businesses and local authorities in their transformation.
A particular focus is on the exchange between research and practice. Whether through joint development projects, final-year dissertations, work placements or research collaborations.
Bringing knowledge to life
The energy transition can only succeed if knowledge is shared and enthusiasm for new technologies is sparked. That is why our activities are not aimed exclusively at businesses and experts, but equally at school pupils, university students and interested members of the public.
Through event formats such as the Energy Symposium, makeathons, workshops, lectures and hands-on sessions, we create spaces for exchange, innovation and collaboration, working alongside partners from business, industry, local authorities and institutions such as the Lower Rhine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Current and past projects
H2-Power: Hydrogen replaces diesel generator | 2024
The “H2-Power: Hydrogen Replaces Diesel Generators” project was carried out in collaboration with Omexom. Students from various disciplines developed a hydrogen-powered alternative to conventional diesel generators, thereby impressively demonstrating what low-emission mobile power supply could look like in the future. In 2024, the project was awarded the Kleve District Economic Development Agency’s University Prize.
Hydrogen Excavator Makeathon | 2026
A notable example of practical knowledge transfer is the hydrogen excavator Makeathon at MAKS GmbH in Uedem. In collaboration with MAKS GmbH, Hexagon Purus, Omexom, the Lower Rhine Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, an originally cable-operated mini-excavator was converted into a hydrogen-powered demonstrator within just a few days. The project impressively demonstrated how innovative ideas can be turned into reality in a short space of time through interdisciplinary collaboration.
The focus was not only on technical development, but above all on the people involved: students from the university worked side by side with apprentices and specialists from the participating companies and organisations. This close collaboration facilitated a direct exchange between academia and industry and provided all participants with valuable experience in the fields of engineering and design, hydraulics, hydrogen technology, energy technology and project management.
Makeathons are practice-oriented innovation events at which students, apprentices and industry professionals work together over the course of a few days to tackle real-world technical challenges and develop functional prototypes.
The successful Makeathon also marks the start of a long-term project. The hydrogen-powered excavator is to be continuously further developed over the coming years. The aim is to create a high-performance demonstrator by the 2029 State Garden Show in Kleve, which will clearly showcase the potential of hydrogen-powered construction machinery for a low-emission construction site.
Lower Rhine Energy Scouts
Together with the Lower Rhine Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences is participating in the Lower Rhine Energy Scouts programme. The aim of this programme is to raise awareness amongst apprentices from various companies about energy efficiency, resource conservation and climate protection, and to empower them to act as advocates within their own workplaces.
As part of the project, the apprentices work alongside academics from the university and representatives from their training companies to develop concrete ideas on how to save energy, optimise processes and use resources more efficiently. In doing so, they analyse real-world challenges faced by the companies and devise practical suggestions for improvement.
The particular added value lies in the fact that the topic of the energy transition is not discussed exclusively at management level, but is already embedded within the training programme. This fosters a sustainable awareness of energy issues that has a long-term impact on the companies and supports the transformation from within. At the same time, participants gain valuable experience in project management, in collaborating with other companies and in dealing with current technologies and issues relating to the energy transition.
Other projects focus, amongst other things, on membrane research, hydrogen applications, renewable energy systems, energy efficiency and the decarbonisation of industrial processes and mobile machinery. The focus is always on the same goal: working with regional partners to put innovative technologies into practical use and to play an active role in shaping the energy transition in the Lower Rhine region.
Interested in working with us?
The energy transition thrives on dialogue and shared ideas. That is why we welcome contact from businesses, local authorities, schools, associations, research institutions and anyone else who is interested in getting actively involved or would like to find out more about our work.
Whether you’re interested in our projects, would like to find out more about the hydrogen-powered excavator or other demonstrators, are looking to collaborate with the university, or would like to develop your own project ideas with us, please feel free to get in touch. We regularly showcase our projects at events or can arrange individual site visits and meetings.
