The technology and industrial group voestalpine has strengthened its green hydrogen infrastructure with the installation of two high‑pressure hydrogen compressor units from Hiperbaric at its Linz plant in Austria. These units enable the compression of green hydrogen produced at H2FUTURE, one of the world’s longest‑running hydrogen facilities, dedicated to industrial‑scale hydrogen production and research, owned by voestalpine.
Hiperbaric’s technology, based on the KS50 PRO model, allows compressing green hydrogen up to 500 bar under the strictest safety, efficiency, and purity standards. This system is essential for storing and later using hydrogen in innovative processes such as HYFOR (Hydrogen-based Fine Ore Reduction), aimed at progressively replacing fossil fuels with clean energy vectors in steel production.
Leadership in Low‑Emission Steel
From its nerve center in Linz, voestalpine is transforming global steelmaking. The company has already achieved significant milestones, such as producing the world’s first railway rail manufactured with green hydrogen, advancing toward its goal of achieving emissions neutrality by 2050.
In relation to its sustainability progress, voestalpine notes that with H2FUTURE they are researching green hydrogen production to substitute fossil fuels in sustainable steelmaking. “Greentec steel marks a clear roadmap toward emissions‑free production through the use of electric furnaces and renewable energy,” they emphasize.
Currently, voestalpine in Linz is building its first electric arc furnace (EAF), with commissioning expected in early 2027.
Eco‑design and Scope 3 Emissions Reduction
Hiperbaric, a global leader in high‑pressure technologies, has successfully integrated Voestalpine’s sustainable steel into its own value chain. Since the start of greentec steel supply, Hiperbaric has achieved an accumulated reduction of approximately 430 tons of CO₂ emissions.
In the production of the “greentec steel edition,” voestalpine applies process optimization that enables avoiding up to 10% of CO₂ emissions at the Linz plant via the traditional blast furnace route (BOF). This direct reduction of the product’s carbon footprint allows Hiperbaric to lower its Scope 3 emissions, ensuring maximum transparency through an allocation model validated by independent third parties (LRQA).
Andrés Hernando, CEO of Hiperbaric, highlights the strategic importance of this material choice: “The pursuit of technical and operational excellence in our high‑pressure equipment starts with a rigorous material selection. Having low‑emission steel guarantees a high‑quality and more sustainable supply for our technology.”
This industrial synergy establishes an efficient collaboration model in the European market: voestalpine uses Hiperbaric’s compression technology to scale its green hydrogen production, while Hiperbaric uses voestalpine’s low‑emission steel to manufacture its high‑pressure equipment.
This technical feedback is not the result of a one‑off agreement, but rests on a solid 15‑year track record of collaboration between the two companies in supply and development. The alliance strengthens the competitiveness of both companies and consolidates the viability of a climate‑neutral heavy industry based on trust and shared innovation.
