Once again this year, innovation projects were selected for funding by the GFZ Innovation Fund. The jury chose five projects from the area of technological advancement of devices and processes:

NABUCCO 4H2 
With the goal of achieving climate neutrality in Germany by 2045, the possibilities of transporting and storing hydrogen are becoming increasingly important. One method for the safe storage and transportation of H2 is the formation of hydrogen hydrates. The construction and testing of an experimental apparatus for the production of hydrogen hydrates is a central part of the innovation project.

MicroBioMonitoring for geothermal energy 
Microorganisms can have a decisive influence on the operation of geothermal plants. In particular, if the conditions for microorganisms improve as a result of nutrient supply or temperature changes, this can lead to corrosion on pumps and pipes and precipitation in the reservoir. This project is developing forecasting tools and early warning indicators that indicate a possible loss of efficiency at an early stage or enable appropriate countermeasures to be taken. Practical partners are already involved.

FLY - Development of a drone gas flow measurement system
When monitoring volcanoes, ground-based methods are no longer optimally feasible with the onset of new eruptive activity. As part of the FLY project, a drone is being developed which, in combination with an accumulation chamber and an integrated measuring system, enables ground-based measurements even in areas that are difficult to access and/or areas with a high safety risk, thus contributing to a significant improvement in data quality and quantity.

GeoRefX 
Due to its cost-effectiveness, Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) is revolutionizing the earth observation industry. Until now, however, the focus has mainly been on sensor development, which has led to gaps in efficient data processing. GeoRefX aims to close this gap by providing an automated and optimized data processing platform that enables efficient extraction of geophysical data, accelerating the adoption of GNSS-R technology. 

Validation of X-band precipitation measurements
Precipitation data in high spatial and temporal resolution are important input variables in agriculture in order to use water sustainably and in a way that conserves resources. The use of X-band radars allows precipitation to be recorded at a much higher spatial and temporal resolution than previously used C-band radars. In order to meet the great potential and needs in practice, the project will collect and validate comprehensive data using special software and additional sensors, also to increase the acceptance of such collected data for users. 

The internally funded validation projects will be carried out until the beginning of next year. Following this, another ideas competition will be held in 2025.