27 April 2026
Forschungszentrum Jülich and Nivelsteiner Sandwerke und Sandsteinbrüche GmbH (Herzogenrath) are collaborating in the HySand demonstration project to develop climate-friendly, cost-efficient solutions for industrial sand drying.
The Nivelsteiner company supplies high-purity quartz sand to industries such as foundries and construction chemicals. Before further processing, the material must be fully dried. At present, the company uses light fuel oil to heat rotary kilns for this purpose-resulting in CO₂ emissions. With climate targets tightening and fossil fuel costs rising, a shift to more sustainable processes is becoming increasingly important.
Several alternatives are under consideration. One option is to use electricity from renewable sources. Green hydrogen and hybrid energy systems could also play an important role in the future. The Institute for a sustainable Hydrogen Economy (IHE) at Forschungszentrum Jülich is investigating how energy supply systems for sand drying can be tailored to specific sites-and what role hydrogen could play in this context.
"As a producer of quartz-based speciality sands, we have been supplying the glass, foundry and construction materials industries since 1904. As part of the energy transition, we want to set the right course at an early stage and adopt more climate-friendly processing steps. This will help future-proof our production," said Bernhard Russel, Managing Director of Nivelsteiner Sandwerke und Sandsteinbrüche GmbH.
In an initial feasibility study, the HySand partners are developing concepts for using renewable energy sources-including climate-friendly electricity and hydrogen-as heat sources for this energy-intensive process. A key focus of the work at IHE is how to supply sites that are not connected to a hydrogen pipeline. In such cases, hydrogen derivatives-chemical carriers in which hydrogen is stored-can provide a practical solution by enabling easier transport and storage.
HySand is part of the Helmholtz Cluster for a Sustainable and Infrastructure-compatible Hydrogen Economy (HC-H2), which aims to help transform the Rhenish mining region into a model region for a sustainable hydrogen economy.
The project also involves RWTH Aachen University, FH Aachen and DTG GmbH Development & Technology (Niederzier). It is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space with €593,000. Results from the feasibility study are expected by mid-2027.
"Sand is a key raw material for many industrial sectors and value chains. This makes it all the more important to decarbonise energy-intensive processing steps. HySand focuses specifically on the drying process," said Professor Uwe Feuerriegel, Chair of Thermal Energy Engineering at FH Aachen, who initiated the project.
"We are exploring different ways to reduce emissions from sand drying. Hydrogen is one of them," said Dr Sarah Deutz, project lead at the Institute for a sustainable Hydrogen Economy (IHE), Forschungszentrum Jülich.
As part of HySand, the Institute for Advanced Mining Technologies (AMT) at RWTH Aachen University is developing an online system for continuous monitoring of the drying process. The Chair of Thermal Energy Engineering at FH Aachen is modelling the process and assessing optimised operating modes from a thermodynamic perspective.
DTG GmbH Development & Technology and IHE are preparing cost estimates, developing a business plan and identifying pathways to transfer the results into industrial applications. In addition, IHE is using simulation-based analyses to compare different climate-friendly drying concepts in terms of both cost and environmental impact.
The project shows how established industrial processes can become more climate-friendly through targeted technological change-without the need to replace entire infrastructures.
