State Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Mona Neubaur visited WEISSGERBER engineering GmbH in Dortmund on April 15, 2026 as part of her "Innovation Tour" through North Rhine-Westphalia to find out more about the KV-Batt cooperation project. Researchers at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts are working with partners from industry and Business Studies to make battery storage systems suitable for high voltages and therefore more efficient.
With a 10-fold higher voltage of at least 10,000 volts in the battery storage units, energy losses are to be reduced by a factor of 100. To this end, the research team led by Prof. Dr. Stefan Kempen and Prof. Dr. Martin Kiel from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts has developed new modular assemblies for storage cells with project partners and set up a new battery management system that can detect and react to the smallest voltage fluctuations. "This is unique in this form," emphasizes Prof. Kempen.
With the experts at WEISSGERBER engineering GmbH, prototypes were built in small quantities, tested and adapted again and again. The system has now been perfected to such an extent that the first storage container with 10,000 volts can go into real test operation at the municipal utilities in Ense, Sauerland. "Then everyone can take a look at it and see that it works," says Managing Director Dr. Tycho Weißgerber. He praises the cooperation with Fachhochschule Dortmund and the spirit of innovation. "We don't have our meetings in conference rooms, but in the laboratory," he explains to the minister. As engineers, they have retained a certain childlike joy of experimentation. Their credo: try everything, fall down sometimes, but always get up and carry on.
Researchers at Fachhochschule Dortmund turn up the tension
In addition to the design and management system, KV-Batt also innovates in the maintenance of the battery storage units. The modules and individual cells can be replaced by a robot during operation when the service life of the storage units is reached. This also saves space, as no human maintenance is required and the storage units can be fitted more densely and efficiently. The low-oxygen environment inside the storage units also reduces the risk of fire. In addition to classic stationary battery storage systems, such storage systems are also conceivable for trucks, ships or electrolysers. "This has a lot of potential," emphasizes Prof. Kiel. The researchers are in contact with the Institute for Electromobility at Ruhr University Bochum.
Minister Neubaur was impressed by the innovative result of this close cooperation between science and Business Studies. During her visit to Dortmund, she asked many questions about the system and explored further opportunities for cooperation on site. At the end, she made an appeal to the country's students - the skilled workers of tomorrow: what is being created here in the field of battery technology is unique. Elon Musk would only dream of this. "If you want to do this too, then study electrical engineering!"