Energy systems modeller (PIK) working on hydrogen and the decarbonization of heavy industry.
As an early-career researcher in a field where senior voices are still overwhelmingly male, WiGH provides the opportunity to address this imbalance. By connecting women experts across the green hydrogen value chain, it creates an invaluable opportunity to learn from each other and drive the sector forward with new ideas.
Clara Bachorz is a researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), where she models the role of hydrogen in future energy systems. Her work maps transition pathways for hard-to-abate industries, with a focus on steel, and identifies robust strategies for policymakers.
She is involved in several international collaborations on hydrogen-based technologies and has briefed policy audiences including Agora Industry and the Center for American Progress. Her research has been published in top-tier journals (Nature Climate Change, Nature Communications) and has been covered by outlets including Deutschlandfunk Nova, Tagesspiegel Background, and Sustainable Views (Financial Times).
Talk, "Minimizing the global fossil steel lock-in requires a policy push towards DRI-based steel production", IAMC Annual Meeting, Búzios, Brazil (Nov. 2025)
Invited talk, "Global Steel Scenarios", Agora Industry, Berlin, Germany (Jun. 2025)
Talk, "Mapping the techno-economic landscape for the hard-to-electrify sectors", International Energy Workshop (IEW), Bonn, Germany (Jun. 2024)
C. Bachorz et al. Averting the steel carbon lock-in through strategic green investments. Nature Climate Change 16, 681–689 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-026-02635-8
C. Bachorz et al. The window to avoid locking in decades of steel emissions is closing fast. Nature Climate Change 16, 636–637 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-026-02634-9
C. Bachorz et al. Exploring techno-economic landscapes of abatement options for hard-to-electrify sectors. Nature Communications 16, 3984 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59277-1