This research area covers the conservation and sustainable management of land, nature conservation and the specific ecosystems of grasslands, forests and high mountain regions.

Team: Camilla Wellstein

Activities:

• Partnered with the Forestry Department of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and Assoimprenditori Alto Adige – Unternehmerverband Südtirol for event organization.
• Hosted "Climbing for Climate 5: Climate, Forest and CO2" on 30 September 2023, in collaboration with the Italian Alpine Club (CAI), discussing sustainable development within the university network.
• Organized the conference “Weiden im Berggebiet nachhaltig bewirtschaften” on 18 December 2023 with AGROSCOPE Switzerland, discussing sustainable pasture management and related research.
• Organized a seminar on “Life Cycle Assessment of Nature-Based Production Systems” on 14 December 2023, highlighting the role of LCA in evaluating nature-based production systems.
• Organized the Studium Generale Course on "Sustainability in Ecosystem Research and Management", 2023
• Publication: Wellstein C, Broll M, Unterthiner G, Pietrogiovanna M (2023) Zwischen Sturmwurf und Borkenkäferbefall: Management von Extremereignissen in Südtirol. In P. Bebi & J. Schweier (Eds.), WSL Berichte: Vol. 144. Aus Störungen und Extremereignissen im Wald lernen, pp. 25-32. DOI: 10.55419/wsl:35226
• Continued collaboration with the Fondazione FIEMME PER ETS on the sustainable development of Val di Fiemme-Fleimstal
• Publication: Wellstein C, Tognetti R, Scherrer: Ecosystem-Disturbance Interactions in Forests. Special Issue in the journal Forests, open for submissions (deadline will be extended to Decemer 2024). Forests | Special Issue : Ecosystem-Disturbance Interactions in Forests (mdpi.com)

This research area focuses on the study of hydrogen technologies and its supply chain as a means for the decarbonization of the electric system, industrial system, and mobility.

Team: Massimiliano Renzi

Activities:

• Collaboration with the Alperia group to assess decarbonization strategies for the electric system and district heating.
• Analysis of possible Carbon Capture technologies and their applicability in heat generation technologies.
• Optimized strategies for sizing and managing components of the hydrogen supply chain.
  Combustion of green hydrogen and hydrogenated fuels (ammonia) in hard-to-abate sectors.
• Thermal management strategies for metal hydrides in hydrogen storage.
  Organization of seminars at the Faculty of Engineering, involving key stakeholders from the Alto Adige region in the field of hydrogen technologies.
  Collaboration with IIT H2, a plant for the production and distribution of green hydrogen for mobility.

Publication:

• Fatehi, M., Campaldini, G., Renzi, M. "Micro gas turbine fed by ammonia with steam injection: Performance and combustion analysis," Applied Thermal Engineering, 2025, 264, 125428.
• Fatehi, M., Renzi, M. "Modelling and development of ammonia-air non-premixed low NOX combustor in a micro gas turbine: A CFD analysis," International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2024, 88, pp. 1–10.
• Jin, L., Rossi, M., Monforti Ferrario, A., Alberizzi J.C., Renzi, M., Comodi, G. "Integration of battery and hydrogen energy storage systems with small-scale hydropower plants in off-grid local energy communities," Energy Conversion and Management, 2023, 286, 117019.