Over 100 years of research and knowledge
The history of the Institute of Energy Process Technology and Chemical Engineering (IEC) dates back to 1918, when the Lignite Foundation of the State of Saxony was established to support and further develop the upcoming Saxon lignite industry. Since then, important milestones and developments have been achieved and a broad network established with the local, national and international economy. Building on this tradition, the IEC is now the largest institute at TU Bergakademie Freiberg, both in terms of personnel and research funding.
In recent decades, the institute's research, development and training focuses have changed, so that the IEC has developed into a centre of excellence for carbon cycle technologies and the conversion of secondary raw materials. The pursuit of excellent theoretical and experimental research in the fields of energy process engineering and reaction engineering remains the focus of today's activities at the IEC.
- The Professorship for Modelling Thermochemical Conversion Processes under Prof. Richter is established (2021).
- Professor Meyer hands over the Professorship of Energy Process Engineering to Prof. Gräbner after 26 years at the IEC in 2021.
- The major DeCarTrans project on petrol synthesis starts in 2023.
- The move to the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) takes place in 2023.
- In 2019, the Fraunhofer branch office for Carbon Cycle Technologies, part of the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems (IMWS), was established, following the establishment of the Chemical Conversion Processes business unit in 2017.
- Also in 2019, the IEC celebrated its 100th anniversary with a major jubilee.
- The large-scale project ZIK Virtuhcon enters its second funding phase in 2016.
- The pilot plant for entrained-flow gasification (GSP) is taken over.
- Planning, construction and commissioning of the FlexiSlag test facility for slag bath gasification
- The new IEC laboratory building (DBI building) is completed.
- The first test run in the syngas-to-fuel plant (STF, now the successor to FlexiSyn) is carried out.
- Large-scale VIRTUHKON project starts
- Construction and commissioning of the pilot plant for the gasification of hydrocarbons and slurries by high-pressure partial oxidation (FlexiPOx)
- 1991: Reorganisation as a result of reunification to become the Institute of Energy Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering in the year; research focus: Processes of technical energy carrier conversion, mechanisms of pollutant removal and retention, adsorbent development, thermal waste utilisation
- 1968: Restructuring of the institute: reaction engineering and fuel technology; research focus: Reaction technology and modelling of coal refining processes, product development (cement clinker, technical carbon, carbon adsorbents)
- 1954: Start of extensive structural expansion of the institute at the Reiche Zeche site; research focus: BHT coking, pressurised gasification of coal and oil, salt coal utilisation
- 1945: Transfer of the technical testing facilities to the Institute for Technical Fuel Utilisation as an independent university institute at the Faculty of Mining
- 1921: Start of construction of the technical testing facility for the thermal economics department of the lignite research institute on the site of the "Reiche Zeche" mine; research focus: Liquid product extraction through carbonisation and hydrogenation of coal
- 1919: Foundation of the Lignite Research Institute at the Freiberg Mining Academy with the Thermal Economics Laboratory as a direct IEC precursor
- 1918: Establishment of the Lignite Foundation at the Freiberg Mining Academy by the Saxon Ministry of Finance and numerous industrial companies