Two German universities in Oldenburg and Hanover and the Polish training company Studium Wodoru are proving that cross-border training for pioneers in the green hydrogen industry makes sense. The Polish edition of this program has just started for the second time.

Studium Wodoru is a Polish training and research company. Based on the many years of experience of its founders, it deals with education and consulting. The company, together with the University of Oldenburg, runs a certified study program “Hydrogen for TOP Managers”. It is a sister program of the German edition „Wasserstoff für Fach- und Führungskräfte“ (“Hydrogen for Specialists and Managers”), which has been successfully implemented in Oldenburg for several years.

The advanced training program „Wasserstoff für Fach- und Führungskräfte“ won third place at the NordWest Awards 2024 of the Northwest Metropolitan Region.

Thanks to the efforts of Studium Wodoru, the German management training program was adapted to the Polish market. The reputation and prestige of this program led to employees of companies from the eastern part of Germany, who are either already present in Poland or are planning to expand into the Polish market, asking about the opportunity to participate. Representatives of one of the Swiss companies are also taking part in the second edition.

Campus Gut am See
The program is held at the “Gut am See” campus in Görlitz. The location is no coincidence. The border town of Görlitz (between Poland and Germany) makes it easier for interested people on the Polish side to participate. On the other hand, German professors, lecturers and industry experts come to the courses. You could say they meet halfway.

However, the language barrier was a problem, as practically none of the participants knew enough German to learn such difficult material. Therefore, the organizers decided to offer the option of simultaneous translation, i.e. the lectures of German professors are continuously translated.

Each participant also receives teaching materials in Polish. However, informal conversations were mainly held in English. For the lessons, thanks to the kindness of the owners, a campus was created for the duration of the meetings at the “Gut am See” castle complex (a disused brown coal mining area) located directly on Lake Berzdorf. The unique atmosphere and the idyllic location directly on the lake always create favorable learning conditions and promote rest and regeneration.

Trend – green hydrogen
The trend towards green hydrogen began in western Germany a few years ago. The “Hydrogen for Specialists and Managers” program has been successfully implemented in Oldenburg since then. This trend is now also emerging in eastern Germany and is continuing further east.

Experts of Studium Wodoru are trying to stay close to what is happening in Germany and at the same time closely monitoring the changes in Poland. Germany already has a very high level of hydrogen know-how, which is reflected, among other things, in the large number of hydrogen installations. The course is now intended to provide an opportunity to train qualified Polish personnel.

The information and knowledge transfer has so far mainly taken place in one direction (east), but some ideas and suggestions from Polish lessons are also being incorporated into the German edition.

Keep one’s ear to the ground
Studium Wodoru employees actively participate in trade fairs, conferences and important events, such as the Hannover Messe 2024 ((s. Hzwei-Heft Juli 2024). Studium Wodoru is a member of the German-Polish Wind Energy Club, the Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Europa Forum association, which, like the Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce is a platform for establishing contacts for companies from Poland and Germany.

Representatives of the H2-Studium also took part in this year’s Hydrogen Forum at the Siemens Innovation Campus in Görlitz. The company also cooperates with the QLEE Association – Qualification Association in Lusatia for Renewable Energies, which has been supporting the energy transition for several years. Studium Wodoru is in constant contact with representatives of local authorities and the German consulate in Wroclaw. The European city of Görlitz/Zgorzelec is the sponsorship of the Polish edition of the “Hydrogen for TOP Managers” program.

What do hydrogen studies offer?
With the support of mentors, students gain the ability to evaluate projects from different perspectives: from the perspective of a designer, an investor and a user. The courses provide know-how in the field of technology, legal issues and financing. After completing the program, participants have expert knowledge in the planning and implementation of hydrogen projects.

It is important that during the classes each participant receives an entry ticket to the H2 network and valuable contacts, not only in Poland or Germany. The course ends with an exam and the receipt of a prestigious certificate from the University of Oldenburg (Certificate of Advanced Studies).

Training course conducted by EMD International A/S

Studium Wodoru invited the best experts, including practitioners, to collaborate. For example, EMD International A/S from Denmark, whose representative conducted courses on their software for planning hydrogen plants. During the exercises, the students carried out calculations for a group project and individual work, among other things. The course received very high marks from the students, who also received a monthly license to use the software after completing the training.

 Networking
Networking is an important part of the course. The Alumni Forum takes place once a year in Oldenburg. During the course, each participant is given access to the e-learning platform, a database of graduates of the hydrogen course. As soon as you say “good morning”, you will also be included in this huge network of H2 contacts.

Some representatives of Studium Wodoru Team are already making plans for the future and want to address their offer to interested parties from the Czech Republic and Ukraine, among others.

Lectures, case studies and individual projects
The “Hydrogen for TOP Managers” program is aimed at managers of various companies and institutions who understand the need for a rapid energy transition. Specialized knowledge in the field of future technologies is increasingly in demand in consulting and law firms, banks and insurance companies. The need for a qualified team is particularly evident in transport, energy and industrial companies – in the automotive, chemical and steel industries.

The study program is divided into three sequences. In individual meetings, topics such as how fuel cells work, the political framework and the stakeholder environment are discussed. There are also topics related to hydrogen technology, business models and the legal framework.

Sequence I – Hydrogen functions, policy framework and stakeholder environment

1. Potential functions of hydrogen in the decarbonisation of the energy system.
2. The role of EU policy and Member Countries in the market introduction of hydrogen.
3. Hydrogen strategy and green hydrogen market in Germany.
4. Current obstacles to the widespread use of hydrogen.
5. Measures at the policy level to promote hydrogen across the board.
6. A look at the landscape of market participants.
7. Sources of investment financing, KPO, European and national funds.
8. Administrative decisions in the process of developing hydrogen projects.

Sequence II – Hydrogen technology

1. Hydrogen – “Facts, facts, facts…!”
2. Hydrogen production – “Every beginning is…?” Electricity is the best!”
3. Types of electrolyzers, technology, supplier overview, market trends.
4. What does a green hydrogen plant consist of, selection of components.
5. Hydrogen storage – “And please pack…!”
6. Hydrogen transport – “We are looking for elements with which we could travel…!”
7. Applications of hydrogen – fire and flame. And much more…!
8. Green hydrogen in transport.
9. Hydrogen in heating.
10. Hydrogen and green ammonia.
11. Synthetic fuels Power2Fuel.
12. Green hydrogen from biomass.
13. Use of various renewable energy technologies for hydrogen production.
14. IT tools for planning hydrogen plants.

Sequence III – Value creation, business models, legal framework and technical activities

1. Energy industry and legal framework.
2. Hydrogen: energy market perspective, HPA and PPA contracts.
3. Sales markets and platforms for green hydrogen.
4. Implementation projects: design, profitability and business models.
5. Due diligence of hydrogen projects.
6. Safety of hydrogen projects, technical and legal requirements.
7. Maintenance and use.
8. Optimization of hydrogen projects.

Importantly, participants also carry out a technical project (case study) along with models of administrative decisions and financial analysis. The project covers various aspects of hydrogen technologies (technical properties, process engineering, business models, permits, financing and operational management). This gives them concrete insights into the implementation of projects in practice.

Work is carried out in teams of a maximum of eight people. The result of the work is a finished business plan for the special purpose vehicle. At the end of the work, the groups carry out a professional due diligence (DD) of the project of the competing group. When working on the project, each group can count on the support of the coordinator not only during the lessons, but also outside of the lessons via the e-learning platform, e-mail contact or teleconference.

In addition, each participant creates his own, individual project on the topic of hydrogen: in the form of a project concept, a business plan for his own plant or as a problem study for the area of ??the economy surrounding hydrogen.

Trip to LEAG in Boxberg 

Excursions
As part of the hydrogen course, trips to hydrogen-related companies in Germany are organized. There are still no green hydrogen production plants in Poland, although the country is the third largest hydrogen consumer in Europe. Therefore, hydrogen producers, manufacturers of hydrogen production and storage equipment, and companies that use green hydrogen are very interesting for Polish participants. Study trips offer a platform to combine theory and practice. In the first edition, the participants visited the LEAG power plant in Boxberg, the Sunfire company in Dresden, the steelworks in Saltzgitter and also took advantage of the invitation from Siemens Energy in Görlitz.

Fireside evening
Each seminar is connected to the so-called fireside evening. This is a meeting with a mentor who talks about his experience in the industry and the projects and tasks he was involved in. It is also an opportunity for integration and exchange of experiences and opinions between the participants of Studium Wodoru. We are pleased to announce that Sven Geitmann from Hydrogeit Publishing House has accepted the invitation as a guest in the second edition of Studium Wodoru.

Detailed information about the “Hydrogen for TOP Managers” program can be found at: www.studiumwodoru.pl

Author: Julia Glapi?ska, Studium Wodoru, Görlitz