Let's go to the IEC – Study with energy!

Discover our offers at the Institute of Energy Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering (IEC)

Let's go to the IEC – Study with energy!

Category: Allgemein

11. October 2019 – Katina Krell

100 years of IEC – innovation for a carbon circular economy

From October 10 to October 12 2019, the institute celebrates the journey through time from a lignite research institute to an innovation center for carbon conversion technologies.

In 1919, the establishment of a brown coal research institute began with the founding of a heat economy laboratory. These are the roots of what is now the University Institute for Energy Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering (IEC), which has developed into a leading center for teaching and research on technologies for the carbon cycle economy with an international reputation. The areas of responsibility have expanded, new structures have been set up. On the basis of the latest scientific methods and practical research, a unique research infrastructure was developed at the institute’s location Reiche Zeche, from innovative modeling and simulation tools to progressive analytics and large-scale test facilities. This is completed by holistic evaluation of these modern techniques and technologies according to a social-technological-economic-ecological-political approach. This enables the institute to pave the way for a low-carbon circular economy. As a result, the IEC is well prepared for future challenges.

With the establishment of the Fraunhofer branch carbon-cycle technologies KKT of the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS (Halle), a new stage was initiated exactly in the 100th year of its existence.

In the next few days, this 100th anniversary of the IEC will be celebrated together with many long-term partners from politics, science and business. Among them are numerous well-known guests from abroad. We are very pleased that the project partners have also accepted our call and are informing themselves about the new opportunities at the institute and celebrating with us.

The festive season starts on October 10th with a cross-country race around the Reiche Zeche. The guests can experience various tours, follow the footsteps of Alexander von Humboldt and attend an extensive scientific colloquium. The celebration is rounded off with the informal heap festival for all guests, employees, friends and families.

20. September 2019 – Katina Krell

INTERNSHIPS for pupils in the laboratories of TU Prague

For 9th grade students we offer a one-week internship in the laboratories of the Institute for Gaseous and Solid Fuels, UCT-Prague. During the internship, the students get to know various analytical techniques that are used for fossil fuels and biofuels, theoretically and in some cases also in practice. In addition, they do tours of the laboratory facilities that are used for various methods of thermal recycling of fuels at the chair. With a micropyrolysis test, various bio-materials for the production of liquid fuels can be examined by the students.

A great opportunity to gain experience abroad and learn something about analysis technology.

Accommodation for students in the dormitories of the University of Chemistry and Technology are booked (http://www.vscht-suz.cz/ubytovani/o-studentskych-kolejich/).

Further information: Doz.Dr.-Ing. Karel Ciahotný (+420 220 444228) or email:

09. August 2019 – Lukas Eichinger

Schools at university – Day 5

The Tech-Week came to an end with a field trip to Clausnitz, where the “Bergland eG” showed us their farm. They try to close the carbon circle as good as possible within their company. They use wind energy, produce the food for their cows completly on their fields (not self explainig with and use the cow dung to supply the biogas plant. The gained Energy (heat and electricity) is used for the buildings on the farm. And the sideproducts of the biogas plant, the fermentation residues, are used for fertilizing the fields.

Besides the process engineering part of the sturctures at the Bergland eG, one of the board members told us a lot about the reality of the forestery, agriculture and livestock farming, with some advices for the students what should be improved in everybody’s life to help the nature. Ususally you don’t see and hear such problems first hand, so it was an astonishing field trip.

  • ©IEC

07. August 2019 – Lukas Eichinger

Schools at university – Day 4

On thursday, the first of august, the program of the Schools of University continued with a related topic like the day before. The students learned everything about the gasification of carbon based resources like plastic waste and the synthesis of fuel from this gas. Needless to say that they visited the industrial-scale plants for these production steps at the institute of energy process engineering afterwards.

In the afternoon there were some presentations about the different fields of study related to the different experimental topics of the week. In this way the pupils had the chance to orient themselves for their future study opportunities. The day ended with a visit to the Terra Mineralia, where the soul can calm down by watching those beautiful and stunning minerals.

  • Die Schülerinnen und Schüler bei der Besichtigung der technischen Anlagen
    ©IEC

01. August 2019 – Lukas Eichinger

Schools at university – Day 3

On wednesday the pupils discussed a lot about the future of mobility. The experiments they did were about the production of biodiesel and the charactization of the current fossil fuels. But of course alternative fuels in general were scrutinized. Now, the students got a view of chemical process engineers on this topic as well as on the complexity of the processes producing the mobility dicisive fuels, and not only the eco-political aspects which are widely discussed in the media.

  • ©IEC