S210: ”Inside the Hydrogen Bubble” with Klemens Ilse of Fraunhofer IMWS

In the final episode of Season 2 of The Solar Journey, Torsten tackles one of the most debated areas of energy transition technology: green hydrogen production and usage. Putting the hydrogen-hype under a microscope, this episode taps the knowledge of a global expert in the field who, somewhat surprisingly, has some inconvenient truths to share.

Joining Torsten is Dr. Klemens Ilse, a physicist and materials diagnostics expert at the Fraunhofer Institute, where he leads research on materials for green hydrogen production. As Deputy Director of the Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for Hydrogen Energy at Kentech in South Korea, Klemens offers a truly global perspective on the future of green hydrogen production and storage.

With a background in photovoltaics, including award-winning research on PV soiling in desert climates, Klemens now applies his skills to the cutting edge of hydrogen technology. In this episode, he unpacks the colorful world of hydrogen—blue, green, grey, and beyond—while providing an honest take on its opportunities and challenges.

"Green hydrogen is often called the Swiss army knife of the energy transition," says Klemens, "but you wouldn't use a Swiss army knife for everything. It should be reserved for cases where no better tool is available." He highlights where hydrogen can make the biggest impact—hard-to-decarbonize sectors like steelmaking—and outlines the challenge posed by inefficient production and transportation.

Beyond the science, Klemens delves into the economics and policy of hydrogen. From Europe’s regulatory push to scale green hydrogen, to the bottlenecks of rare materials like iridium, this conversation sheds light on the forces shaping hydrogen’s role in a net-zero future.

As the closing episode of Season 2, and featuring such a hotly debated subject, this one is not to be missed. A bold exploration of hydrogen's potential and pitfalls, offering clear-eyed analysis and a roadmap for its role in the clean energy future.

PLUS – it’s a double-header Espresso segment, with Lisa Hirvonen from Italian-Chinese manufacturer FuturaSun joining to share her views from the recent PV Module Tech event in Malaga, Spain. And fan favorite Radovan Kopeček from the ISC Konstanz checks in again, fresh back from his whirlwind East Asian excursion, with dispatches from conferences in both Japan and China.