With a clear focus on sustainability and energy transformation, the company is driving groundbreaking projects aimed at facilitating the use of hydrogen in various applications and making it economically viable.
One of voestalpine Tubulars' main initiatives is the development of materials suitable for the use of hydrogen. Through intensive research and testing, the materials are tested and developed for their resistance to hydrogen.
We are also active in several pilot projects, including a hydrogen storage project in a salt cavern in the Netherlands that has already been successfully implemented. The tank was filled with 100% hydrogen gas using our products and the pipes were discharged under pressure (the world's first for 100% hydrogen).
Another focus is the development of new testing equipment to ensure the hydrogen tightness of our VAhyper® premium connection, which has been specially tested for use in a hydrogen and laboratory environment (at 700 bar).
Our R&D department is currently working on the development of stationary and mobile storage systems for hydrogen. High strength to ultra-high strength materials are being developed to meet the requirements of hydrogen storage systems.
In addition, prototype construction for test facilities is being driven forward in order to be able to test our product solutions accordingly. At the same time, accompanying tests are also being carried out as part of the approval process with the certification authority.
voestalpine Tubulars is striving to ensure the economical use of hydrogen by cooperating with various partners and utilising its expertise, and to overcome challenges such as creating the infrastructure and producing green hydrogen.
We are involved in flagship projects such as "Underground Sun Storage 2030", which is researching the safe storage of hydrogen in underground gas storage facilities in Austria.
To establish relevant standards, voestalpine Tubulars also works with global experts and is a partner company in COMET K1 HyCentA in Graz, Austria.
In order to present our products and research results to potential customers and partners, we actively participate in events such as the Hydrogen Technology Expo in Houston and Hamburg and the DGMK conference.
In the context of energy transition and sustainability, voestalpine Tubulars is focusing on modular hydrogen storage and is working intensively on the development of standards and processes to facilitate the use of hydrogen in various applications.
We are primarily looking at the impact of hydrogen on the properties of our seamless steel tubes. In parallel, we are working on the decarbonization of our production processes. Specifically, this concerns our natural gas-fired heating furnaces. In our company, we have already adapted our largest industrial furnace, the rotary hearth furnace, as part of the modernization in 2023 and installed burners that can also operate with hydrogen.
The management emphasizes the importance of ecologization as an indispensable part of the energy transition and is committed to being part of this development. We are optimizing hydrogen processes to make them fit for the future.
For the progress of energy conversion, the ecologization of products and processes is an indispensable component. You have to be part of this development in order to remain profitable in the long term.
The further development of technologies and materials, especially in the field of hydrogen, is a logical continuation of the corporate strategy to secure the location. Ecology and economy are not mutually exclusive.
Flag ship project - RAG Large-volume storage of hydrogen enables energy transition while maintaining security of supply. With "Underground Sun Storage", the world's first hydrogen storage facility in an underground porous reservoir, RAG Austria AG - Renewables and Gas, together with its project partners, is setting new international standards.
Underground Sun Storage - The lead project "Underground Sun Storage 2030" (USS 2030) is developing the safe, seasonal and large-volume storage of renewable energy in the form of hydrogen in underground gas reservoirs. In addition, all partners involved in the project will gain valuable technical and economic knowledge for the development of a secure hydrogen supply.
HyStorage - Uniper Bierwang, Investigation of the influence of different hydrogen concentrations on porous rock formations and thus verification of the suitability and integrity of porous reservoirs for the storage of hydrogen. Since the fall of 2023, sample holders (developed by voestalpine Tubulars) for material samples have also been installed in this test series, enabling the effects on samples under tension to be tested in situ.
HPC Krumhörn. The HPC Krummhörn project aims to test the design and operation of a 100% hydrogen storage facility under real conditions. During the test operation, we are testing equipment, materials and materials for H2 compatibility and gaining experience in the technology and operation of hydrogen storage. We will use a salt cavern storage facility in Krummhörn, Germany. The demonstration plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2024.
Learn more about our product solutions for hydrogen applications.
