Content exchange is important

The HAW Hamburg student team, Vincent Gülck/Rayan Hamo, and Prof Anna Usbeck got to know the Senegalese professors (Prof Lamine Thiaw, Head of the Electrical Engineering Department, Prof Lamine Ndiaye and Prof Ousmane Sow, Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department) as well as the ESP Master’s students Fatou Diouf and Aliou Niang. Later, during the two-month collaboration in Senegal, the two students worked in tandem on the construction and testing of the ‘SeneSet’ solar cleaner.

The two Senegalese Master’s students presented the design drawings of their solar cleaner. The idea was discussed and Prof Anna Usbeck, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, gave brief, qualitative feedback. The Senegalese also provided valuable information on the Hamburg team’s SeneSet solar cleaner for the test run at the Diass solar park.

Prof Ousmane Sow developed a solar cleaner in Dakar with two students, Aliou Niang and Fatou Diouf. The idea was presented by the students and discussed with other professors from the field of mechanical engineering.

Final workshop with Prof Ousmane Sow. The students had already developed suggestions for improving their solar cleaner. The next steps for practical implementation – for example with the production of gears in the workshops at HAW Hamburg – were agreed.

Prof Lamine Thiaw from Dakar was a guest in Hamburg. The workshop served to exchange ideas and get to know each other personally. Prof. Kolja Eger presented the degree programme ‘Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Management (REE)’ and HAW Hamburg. The question ‘What do graduates need to know about renewable energies?’ was discussed intensively.

The workshop was divided into two parts. It began with a presentation of the three universities and their special features:

1. Dr. Papa Silly Traore, ESP Dakar, presented the structure of the ESP
2. Prof Benno Radt, HAW Hamburg, presented the ‘Regenerative Energy Systems and Energy Management’ (REE) degree programme
3. Prof Martin Wolter, University of Magdeburg, presented the work of the Institute for Electrical Energy Systems (IESY)

In the second part, Dionisia Jodi compared and contrasted the modules of the one-year postgraduate program at ESP with the REE program at HAW Hamburg. Afterwards, several projects were presented: redox flow batteries (RFB) by Prof. Struckmann, the smart grid project “SEMI-D” by Prof. Vaupel, Digital Twin Solar by Prof. Lapke, and GridBatt battery technologies to ensure stable grid operation by Prof. Wolter.

The experts discussed the future of the study programs and the pressure for change in Germany in comparison to the new curriculum in Senegal.

At the end of the stay, the modified and new designs by the Senegalese participants were presented and discussed. The students had been able to gain initial experience with CAD and also learned practical manual skills in the workshops at HAW Hamburg, such as milling, filing, and soldering.

Intercultural collaboration: The challenges were in some cases significant. There was a “struggle for competence” between Senegalese master’s students and German bachelor’s students. Hierarchies shape teaching in Senegal, and professors and students rarely work on an equal footing. English language proficiency is an important means of communication.

Sun and wind are the pillars of a climate-neutral energy supply. In West Africa, both are abundantly available. Senegal has set itself the goal of reducing CO₂ emissions in the energy sector by 2030. By then, 40 percent of electricity is to come from renewable sources. To achieve this, the country needs skilled professionals with the appropriate qualifications.
In the CO2FREE project, HAW Hamburg and ESP in Dakar are developing a forward-looking Bachelor’s degree program in “Renewable Energies,” led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Anna K. Usbeck (HAW Hamburg) and Prof. Lamine Thiaw (ESP).

The exchange between industry and academia proved enriching for the participants. Mark Kragh, founder of Off-Grid Europe, spoke about the challenges of building a decentralized, solar-based power supply. Boris Westphal, CEO of the Business Unit Renewables, reported on the use of renewable energies in West African mines. Romana Hartke presented Mainstream Renewable Power’s global activities in expanding wind energy, while Dr. Jens Eiko Birkholz from the industry partner SMA Solar Technology provided insights into approaches for ensuring the quality of decentralized solar power generation. Prof. Sebastian Timmerberg presented technological approaches for transporting energy in the form of green hydrogen to Europe..

The ideas competition 2023 concluded with the presentation of solar panel cleaners by various student teams. In the Diass solar park, dusty solar panels are normally cleaned using a tractor with water and brushes. To address the issue of Sahara dust and the repeatedly soiled solar panels, two HAW teams each developed a solar cleaner:

1. A large 6-meter-long frame with a hand crank and brushes or cloths.

2. Solar cleaner consisting of two parts: an electrically powered motor with sensors that drives a cleaning module via a fishing line. This team produced many individual components using 3D printing, including parts designed to hold the brushes as well as drive gears.

Rayan Hamo also presented a measurement sensor that measures the thickness of the dust layer on a solar panel.

After the exciting trip to Senegal, we continued to discuss the modules of the new curriculum in Hamburg, which the ESP had presented to us in a presentation. The experience of the students was very helpful.

At this workshop, the ESP presented the status of the ‘Renewable Energies’ curriculum with the planned modules and elective options for students. One area that has come into focus is electric mobility. There is a lot of traffic in Dakar, it is noisy and the air is often poor. Electrically powered vehicles can provide a remedy, as the sun can be used to generate the required energy. The two Senegalese students, who are at HAW Hamburg for almost three months, are working on precisely these topics for their Master’s thesis.

The two Senegalese Master’s students Sidy Samb and Cheikh Sall presented the research they were able to carry out during their time at HAW Hamburg. The topics of their master’s thesis were fast battery charging and electric drive.

In the first part, Dr Papa Silly Traore presented the current status of the ‘Renewable Energies’ curriculum, Kathrin Rath explained the CARPE network and Prof. Henner Gärtner introduced the new English-language ‘Mechanical Engineering’ degree programme at HAW Hamburg. In the second part, smaller workshop groups discussed the expansion of collaborations and compared the two curricula in detail to see whether modules fit together. The workshop was moderated by Janina Hertel from the Migration Centre at HAW Hamburg.

One module in the new curriculum is to be energy efficiency. The Senegalese delegation travelled to the SmartCity of the Viebrockhaus company in Harsefeld near Buxtehude. In a show house, Lars Viebrock, the grandson of founder Gustav Viebrock, gave a very clear presentation on the development of energy-efficient house construction. Afterwards, we were able to see live on site how the theory has been put into practice.
This event was organised in cooperation with the hs21 University of Applied Sciences in Buxtehude.

After the tour of Viebrock’s SmartCity, a two-day workshop on ISO 50001, energy efficiency in buildings, took place. The trainer was Detlef Borst from TÜV Rheinland, who explained clearly and well what DIN ISO 50001 is, how it can be implemented and what significance it has. The participants were able to test their knowledge with practical exercises. There will be an energy efficiency module in the ESP’s ‘Renewable Energy’ curriculum.

Within the workshop, international exchange and cooperation programs such as the “Virginia Tech Exchange” and “Erasmus+ Africa-Europe” were presented. Contributions on the joint degree program in the field of renewable energies and on digital platforms such as COIL demonstrated new approaches for sustainable exchange. During a discussion session, challenges and strategies in the collaboration between HAW Hamburg and ESP Dakar were developed. The focus was on strengthening academic exchange with Senegal, cooperation in research, and the use of renewable energies in mobility and agriculture within the framework of shared sustainability goals.

An exchange took place on international teaching and research. The current status was reviewed, and additional ideas for the future were gathered.

As part of a workshop, students and researchers from Senegal and Nigeria had the opportunity to network and exchange ideas. First, our project manager Mohamed Diop presented the CO2Free project, before the two PhD students from Senegal presented their research in the field of hydrogen technologies and outlined their goals for their two-month stay at HAW Hamburg. Afterwards, the PhD students from Nigeria presented their projects, which they will pursue over three years at HAW. In a final exchange session, the research objectives were explored in greater depth and ways in which HAW can support the students in implementing their projects were discussed.

In recent years, the Senegalese government has shown increasing interest in the development of renewable energy in order to diversify the energy mix and promote environmental sustainability. The workshop took place not far from ESP in a hotel, with representatives from companies such as the Senegalese Agency for Rural Electrification (ASER), the National Agency for Renewable Energies (ANER), Semis, a service provider for energy in the Sahel region, EREPCO, a specialist in electrical engineering and energy, the African Network of Energy Efficiency Experts, and Sustainable Business For ALL (biogas, biomass, wind, solar).

In addition to the exchange of experiences, the focus was on working out in specialized working groups how the training of professionals should be designed so that they are able to design, install, operate, maintain, and manage renewable energy systems.

Professors and lecturers in renewable energy as well as stakeholders from the industry sector came together to exchange experiences and to work out what ESP graduates in Senegal need for a successful entry into professional life. Identifying the required competencies is essential for the development of curricula. The objectives were: 1. Presentation of the results of a survey conducted among various stakeholders 2. Skills required of a senior technician in the field of photovoltaic and wind energy systems 3. Skills required of a senior technician in the field of biogas and solar thermal energy.

Companies are looking for training that is adapted to their reality and helps them to assert and develop themselves in a competitive world. The result of the workshop is a table with tasks in the areas and the associated skills. It is a good basis for further work.

A large delegation from HAW Hamburg is visiting the ESP in Dakar. The delegation includes project manager Prof Anna Usbeck, Prof Martin Lapke (Electrical Engineering), Prof Udo Pulm (Sustainability) and Carsten Schütte (Hydrogen), to name but a few.

Companies are looking for training that is adapted to their reality and helps them to assert and develop themselves in a competitive world. The result of the workshop is a table with tasks in the areas and the associated skills. It is a good basis for further work.