New UBA site opened in Cottbus

The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) opened a new location in Cottbus on April 25, 2024. In future, ten UBA employees will conduct research here on the decarbonization of industry and transport. The newly established chair will exchange ideas and network with local stakeholders. The Federal Government is supporting the establishment of the new UBA site in Cottbus on the basis of the Coal Regions Structural Strengthening Act.

Eight of the ten employees at the new UBA site in Cottbus are part of the "Decarbonization in Industry" chair and will investigate how energy-intensive industrial processes can be restructured to be climate-neutral while taking other environmental concerns into account. On this basis, they are supporting a corresponding funding measure of the German government - the Federal Funding for Industry and Climate Protection - with the industry expertise of the Federal Environment Agency. The aim is to promote the electrification of industrial processes and the reduction of process-related CO2 emissions in particular. Two other employees working on the topic of transport are investigating decarbonization options as well as the environmental and climate impact of heavy commercial vehicles in road transport and alternative fuels in maritime transport.

UBA President Dirk Messner on the opening of the new UBA site in Cottbus: "The decarbonization of our industry is a key step on the path to climate neutrality. Society's efforts to protect our climate can only be successful with a strong and efficient industry - not against it. I am convinced that we will succeed in making this process a success and I am pleased that we at UBA can play our part in this. Lusatia is one of the regions that will benefit from this transformation in the future, which is why Cottbus is exactly the right location for UBA's new chair."

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Hübner, Vice President for Research and Transfer at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, says: "We are delighted that the Federal Environment Agency has chosen Cottbus as its location. The topic of decarbonization, which is a focus in Cottbus in the areas of industry and transport with other partners such as the KEI, is a very good fit for research at the BTU. Our profile lines "Decarbonization and Energy Transition" and "Global Change and Transformation" are excellent interfaces to the new chairs and enable numerous collaborations, for example in the areas of energy and environmental protection. These offer great potential and synergies with other research areas that we can use to shape a sustainable, liveable future."

Dr.-Ing. Klaus Freytag, Lusatia Representative of the Minister President of Brandenburg, welcomes the opening of the new UBA site in Cottbus: "The new federal authorities in Lusatia, in particular in the Cottbus regional center, are important partners and supporters of structural change. With its expertise, the Federal Environment Agency is supporting the diverse challenges of transformation in the lignite mining regions. The expertise is now on site in Cottbus, a good day for the mining area and its people!"

The new UBA site in Cottbus city center is also intended to create long-term networks with players in the local economy and research institutions in the region and expand existing contacts. The exchange with regional partners such as the Competence Center for Climate Protection in Energy-Intensive Industries (KEI), the Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU) Cottbus-Senftenberg and the practical laboratory for fuels and raw materials from green hydrogen in Lusatia (PtX Lab) is an essential part of the work of the UBA experts on site.

Press contact Federal Environment Agency (UBA)

Feliks Todtmann
feliks.todtmann(at)uba.de
+49(0)340 2103 - 2245
presse@uba.de