Challenges on the Renewable Energy Storage - Conference 2026
From June 29 to July 1, 2026 the International Conference on “Challenges on the Renewable Energy Storage”, jointly organized by the Departments of Interface Science and Inorganic Chemistry at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max-Planck Society and the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, took place at Liblice Castle near Prague.
Following previous successful meetings in 2022 and 2024, the Interface Science and Inorganic Chemistry Departments at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max-Planck Society and the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry jointly organized the third edition of the international conference “Challenges on the Renewable Energy Storage” at Liblice Castle, Czech Republic. The interdisciplinary conference convened leading experts in catalysis and electrocatalysis to discuss how to efficiently use and store renewable energy at scale - one of the key scientific and industrial challenges of the 21st century.
Catalysis plays a crucial role in the upcoming transformation of the chemical and energy sectors. More than 85% of all processes in the chemical industry rely on catalytic materials, and catalysis is considered one of the key principles of a greener chemical industry that is more environmental ly friendly, saves resources, reduces waste, and saves energy. In the context of energy storage in the form of chemical bonds, electrocatalysis in particular is a cornerstone of technological advancement: Electrocatalytic processes enable the conversion of electricity from renewable sources into chemical energy, for example by storing it in the form of green hydrogen. Catalytic processes are thus crucial to support the energy transition - but their further optimization requires an interdisciplinary approach involving advanced operando spectro-microscopy methods and new theoretical tools.
With the aim to support the interdisciplinary exchange needed to move novel energy concepts from promising ideas toward real-world relevance, the international conference “Challenges on Renewable Energy Storage” was set up. The organizing committee of 2026 led by Prof. Beatriz Roldán Cuenya (FHI), Prof. Petr Krtil (HI) and Dr. Katarzyna Skorupska (FHI) connected researchers working across catalysis, electrocatalysis and energy conversion. Keynote Speakers involved international experts from Europe and the United States reflecting the significance of the topic.
Invited and plenary speakers of the conferences included Prof. Ferdi Schüth director at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim (Germany), Prof. Kristina Tschulik from Ruhr University Bochum (Germany), Prof. Federico Calle-Vallejo – IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science (Spain), Prof. Miguel A. Banares from CSIC-Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica, Madrid (Spain) and Prof. Plamen Atanassov from the University of California, Irvine (USA).
The conference served as a platform for scientific exchange and also as a valuable forum for networking and fostering connections and collaborations. As one of the organizing partners, the Fritz Haber Institute is pleased to be able to provide this platform and support the important interdisciplinary exchange. We extend our sincere thanks to the organizing team for their dedication and invaluable contribution to making the 2026 conference a success.
