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The study shows that the metropolitan region has economic potential in the product-related value chain. Depending on the scenario, this market sector can become a decisive factor and will create jobs in several fields in the European Metropolitan Region Nuremberg (EMN). However, the simulations show that the generation potential from energy surpluses is not sufficient for significant export. However, the own production of hydrogen in the metropolitan region could cover the own demand, mainly heavy duty vehicles and process heat, and thus could also be an incentive for the own infrastructure development. However, the simulation clearly shows that a pushed expansion of renewable energies is indispensable and that the storage capacities and concepts planned so far will not be sufficient to buffer the surplus energy peaks and make them available. There is a need for research and action here, both specifically for the EMN and for other regions. From our point of view, it will be crucial for the EMN that the existing industry in the EMN acquires the competences to develop and produce components, partial and complete systems for hydrogen technology. For this purpose, it is important to provide easy access to this knowledge in the form of a central knowledge center and to ensure close networking of the various players in the product-related value chain., Diese Studie wurde im Auftrag des Wissenschaftsreferats der Stadt Nürnberg für die Europäische Metropolregion Nürnberg in Auftrag gegeben und vom Energie Campus Nürnberg (EnCN) durchgeführt. Unter der Projektleitung des EnCN haben die Institutionen Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Technische Hochschule Nürnberg, das Fraunhofer-Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen IIS und die ENERGIEregion gemeinschaftlich erstellt.

Erdgas spielt eine zentrale Rolle im heutigen Energiesystem Deutschlands. Auch mittelfristig wird in aktuellen Analysen damit gerechnet, dass die Nachfrage nach Erdgas groß bleiben wird. Gleichzeitig stellt die Diskussion um Treiber, Quelle und vor allem Größenordnung von Methanschlupf während der gesamten Prozesskette die Rolle von Erdgas als Brückenenergieträger in Richtung Klimaneutralität in Frage. In diesem Kontext stehen Technologien bereit, welche Erdgas durch erneuerbares Methan oder Wasserstoff substituieren können. Diese bieten zwar signifikantes Potenzial zur Einsparung von Treibhausgasemissionen, können sich unter den aktuellen politischen und wirtschaftlichen Rahmenbedingungen allerdings nicht etablieren. Hauptziel dieser Thesis ist es deshalb, szenariobasiert und modellgestützt mögliche Transitionspfade zur Förderung erneuerbarer Gase zu ermitteln und zu analysieren, und damit zur aktiven Gestaltung des künftigen Gasmarkts beizutragen. Zunächst wird zu diesem Zweck das Energiesystemmodell MIREG (Model for the Integration of Renewable Gases) entwickelt und vorgestellt. Darin werden erneuerbare Gaserzeuger hinsichtlich ihrer techno-ökonomischen Performance sowie ihrer Treibhausgasemissionen detailliert systemdynamisch abgebildet. Die Kombination mit den relevanten Rohstoffmärkten (Strom- und Biomassemarkt) berücksichtigt Wechselwirkungen innerhalb des Energiesystems. Ein Gleichgewichtsmodell optimiert die resultierenden Gaspreise und Speichereinsätze und erlaubt die Abbildung eines Gasmarkts bei steigenden Anteilen erneuerbarer, dezentraler Gaserzeuger. Mithilfe einer Ausbauplanung können darüber hinaus Investitionsentscheidungen modellendogen getroffen werden. Anschließend werden mit MIREG die Auswirkungen unterschiedlicher Förderinstrumente und wirtschaftlicher Entwicklung auf die Penetration erneuerbarer Gase szenariobasiert untersucht. Zusätzlich wird der Einfluss unterschiedlicher Bilanzierungen von Methanschlupf bei der Förderung von Erdgas auf die Ergebnisse analysiert sowie der Effekt singulärer Marktereignisse am Bespiel der Ukrainekrise betrachtet. Im definierten Business as Usual ist kein wesentlicher Ausbau erneuerbarer Erzeuger beobachtbar, was die Notwendigkeit zur Förderung erneuerbarer Gase nochmals verdeutlicht. Brennstoffförderungen, zinsfreie Kredite sowie ein verstärkter Ausbau erneuerbarer Stromerzeuger zeigen sich hierzu als wenig effektive Mittel. Stärker steigende CO2- und Grenzübergangspreise hingegen begünstigen den Zubau grüner Gase stark. So steigt der erneuerbare Anteil des Gasmixes im Modell auf 59,6%, wenn 2050 Grenzübergangspreise i.H.v. 110 €/MWh erreicht werden. Ein CO2-Preis von 304 €/t in 2050 führt zu 45,5% erneuerbaren Gasen. Investitionskostenförderungen unterstützen insbesondere Power-to-Gas-Anlagen. Die durchgeführte ökologische Parametervariation verdeutlicht die ökonomischen und ökologischen Konsequenzen der strikteren Bilanzierung von Vorkettenemissionen bei der Förderung von Erdgas. In keinem der Szenarien kann bei weiterhin unterstelltem hohen Verbrauch eine vollständige Substitution fossilen Erdgases durch erneuerbare Gase erreicht werden. Das resultierende CO2-Äquivalent des Gasmixes liegt u.a. dadurch stets deutlich über dem erneuerbaren Stroms. Dies führt zu den Forderungen, den Gasverbrauch Deutschlands zu senken, erneuerbare Gase für Anwendungen ohne Möglichkeit zur direkten Elektrifizierung vorzuhalten, die Bilanzierung von Vorkettenemissionen fossilen Erdgases kritisch zu hinterfragen, sowie – zusätzlich zu nationalen Anstrengungen – internationale Lieferketten zur Defossilisierung des Gasmarktes zu suchen. Natural gas plays a dominant role in Germany’s current energy system. Recent analyses do not expect the demand for natural gas to decrease in the medium term either. At the same time, the discussion about the drivers, source and, above all, magnitude of fugitive methane emissions of the entire process chain challenges the role of natural gas as a bridge energy carrier towards climate neutrality. In this context, numerous technologies offer the potential to substitute natural gas with renewable alternatives. They hold significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but are not economically competitive under the current political and economic boundary conditions. Thus, the main objective of this thesis is to identify and analyse possible transition paths for the promotion of renewable gases on a scenario-based and model-supported basis. This aims to contribute to the active development of the future gas market. For this purpose, this thesis develops and presents the energy system model MIREG (Model for the Integration of Renewable Gases). This model comprises a detailed system-dynamic representation of renewable gas producers with regard to their techno-economic performance and greenhouse gas emissions. The combination with relevant commodity markets (electricity and biomass markets) takes into account interactions within the energy system. An equilibrium model optimises the resulting gas prices and storage operations and allows to consider increasing shares of renewable, decentralised gas producers. An expansion planning enables the endogenous optimisation of investment decisions. Subsequently, MIREG analyses the effect of different funding instruments and economic developments on the penetration of renewable gases on a scenario basis. In addition, the influence of methane slip of natural gas on the results as well as the effect of unique market events with the example of the Ukraine crisis is assessed. The defined Business as Usual does not lead to significant expansion of renewable gases, which again calls for appropriate funding schemes. Fuel subsidies, interest-free loans and an increased expansion of renewable electricity generation are not effective means to this end. Stronger increasing CO2- and border-crossing gas prices, on the other hand, strongly favour the expansion of green gases. The renewable share of the gas mix in the model increases to 59.6% if gas prices reach a level of 110 €/MWh in 2050. A CO2-price of 304 €/t in 2050 leads to 45.5% of renewable gases. Investment cost subsidies support Power-to-Gas plants in particular. The ecological parameter variation carried out illustrates the economic and ecological consequences of a stricter accounting of upstream emissions during natural gas production. Complete substitution of fossil natural gas with an assumed persistently high demand by renewable gases is achieved in none of the scenarios. Inter alia due to this, the resulting CO2 equivalent of the gas mix remains significantly higher than that of renewable electricity. This leads to the claim to reduce Germany’s gas consumption, to reserve renewable gases for applications without the possibility of direct electrification, to critically question the accounting of upstream emissions of fossil natural gas, and – in addition to national efforts – to seek international supply chains to defossilise the gas market.

This study summarises the scientific state of the art for the production, transportation, storage and reconversion of green hydrogen concisely and in the form of fact sheets. The aim is to provide a compact and independent overview that can serve as a guideline and basis of decision-making for future investments in the energy industry. The study discusses 47 technologies with different technology readiness levels and compares them in terms of technical and economic performance indicators. A set of uniform boundary conditions common to the energy industry allows to ensure comparability of economically relevant data (especially hydrogen production costs). In the study, technology profiles describe technologies with high technical relevance and availability as well as technologies with high technical potential but currently low availability. In each case, the state of development, operating principle, market situation as well as technical and economic risks are discussed. Additionally, a technology radar briefly presents technologies with currently unclear technical potential or technologies that are not yet available., Eine Studie im Auftrag der N-ERGIE Aktiengesellschaft

Simple Summary Global declines in arthropods necessitate a rethinking of current agricultural practices. Organic farming, complex landscapes with high proportions of seminatural habitats and local vineyard management practices such as implementation of flower-rich cover-crop mixtures may be a promising approach to enhance arthropod biodiversity and, thus, natural pest control in viticulture. We examined effects of organic farming, different types of vineyard inter-row vegetation, and landscape composition on natural pest control of a major grapevine pest, the grape berry moth Lobesia botrana, and identified its dominant natural enemies. Surprisingly, natural pest control was reduced by sown cover-crops and organic farming. Interestingly, bush crickets were one of the most dominant natural enemies in the Austrian study region. Negative effects of organic farming in our study are most likely related to high fungicide inputs. Thus, a promising approach to reduce fungicide input and, therefore, promote a more sustainable viticulture may be the implementation of fungus-resistant grape varieties. Abstract Habitat simplification and intensive use of pesticides are main drivers of global arthropod declines and are, thus, decreasing natural pest control. Organic farming, complex landscapes, and local vineyard management practices such as implementation of flower-rich cover-crop mixtures may be a promising approach to enhance predator abundance and, therefore, natural pest control. We examined the effect of organic versus integrated management, cover-crop diversity in the vineyard inter-rows, and landscape composition on the natural pest control of Lobesia botrana eggs and pupae. Predation of L. botrana pupae was reduced by organic farming and species-poor cover-crops by about 10%. Predation rates of L. botrana eggs did not differ significantly in any of the studied management options. Dominant predators were earwigs (Forficulidae), bush crickets (Tettigoniidae), and ants (Formicidae). Negative effects of organic viticulture are most likely related to the negative nontarget effects on arthropods related to the frequent sulfur and copper applications in combination with the avoidance of strongly damaging insecticides by integrated winegrowers. While a 10% difference in predation rates on a single pest stage is unlikely to have strong practical implications, our results show that the assumed effectiveness of environmentally friendly agriculture needs to be evaluated for specific crops and regions.

Wie in fast allen Krebsarten, sind die, als architektonische Transkriptionsfaktoren agierenden HMGA1 Proteine im duktalen Pankreas-Adenokarzinom (PDAC) überexpremiert. Obwohl gezeigt wurde, dass HMGA1 zur Proliferation von PDAC-Zellen beiträgt, sind die molekularen, von HMGA1 regulierten Mechanismen weitgehend unbekannt. In dieser Arbeit wird gezeigt, dass der Knock down von HMGA1 Proteinen mit einer HMGA1-spezifischen siRNA zu einer Reduktion der Proliferation aufgrund eines G1-Arrests in PDAC-Zellen führt. Auf molekularer Ebene wird die Translation von Cyclin D1 nach dem HMGA1 Knock down beeinträchtigt. Diese Arbeit belegt, dass der Inhibitor des eukaryotischen Translations-initiationsfaktors 4E (eIF4E) 4EB-P1 an der beobachteten Herunterregulierung von Cyclin D1 nach HMGA1 Knock down partizipiert. Des Weiteren liegt 4EB-P1 in der Signalkaskade unterhalb vom Insulin-Rezeptor (INSR) und HMGA1 reguliert die Transkription des INSR Gens in PDAC-Zellen. The HMGA1 proteins act as architectural transcription factors and are involved in the regulation of many genes. They are also overexpressed in most types of cancer. This study shows that the knock down of HMGA1 proteins with a HMGA1 specific siRNA leads to a G1-Arrest in pancreatic cancer cell lines. This G1-Arrest goes along with a significant reduction of cell proliferation and number. Western blot analyses revealed a noteworthy decrease in the protein amount of cyclin D1 and cyclin A. Furthermore, the tumor suppressor retinoblastoma protein pRB remains in its repressive hypophoshoralized form. Also the repressor of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) 4EB-P1 participate in the control of this cyclin D1 reduction. This translational regulation is controlled via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Finally, the knock down of HMGA1 proteins leads to a transcriptional reduction of the insulin receptor (IR).