voestalpine and VERBUND Invest €16.4 Million to Upgrade H2FUTURE Plant with Compression, Purification and Storage Capacity

voestalpine and VERBUND Invest €16.4 Million to Upgrade H2FUTURE Plant with Compression, Purification and Storage Capacity

(IN BRIEF) voestalpine and VERBUND are expanding the H2FUTURE PEM electrolysis pilot plant in Linz with a new compression and purification unit and five hydrogen storage tanks, at a cost of €16.4 million. The follow-up project continues their research into producing, conditioning and storing green hydrogen under variable renewable-energy conditions, with installation underway, functional tests in January 2026, and first research findings expected by year-end 2026. This initiative supports voestalpine’s greentec steel strategy—shifting to electric-arc furnaces and aiming for net-zero CO₂ by 2050—while VERBUND ensures stable hydrogen dispatch through added storage capacity. Since 2019, H2FUTURE’s 6 MW, 12-stack PEM electrolyzer has produced several hundred tonnes of hydrogen and helped balance grid frequency.

(PRESS RELEASE) LINZ, 8-Jul-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — voestalpine AG, a global leader in steel and technology, together with Austria’s largest renewable energy producer VERBUND AG, today announced a major expansion of H2FUTURE, one of the world’s longest-running PEM electrolysis pilot plants. Originally commissioned in 2019 at voestalpine’s Linz site as the largest hydrogen research facility of its kind, the plant will now incorporate a dedicated compression and purification unit plus five new storage tanks. The €16.4 million investment will cover the full green-hydrogen value chain—from generation and purification through to pressurization, buffering and dispatch for downstream applications.

This follow-up initiative, branded H2FUTURE Follow-Up, builds on the original collaboration between voestalpine and VERBUND. It extends their joint research into ensuring hydrogen of consistent purity and pressure, even under variable renewable-energy inputs. Preparatory engineering has been underway for two years; installation is in progress, with system validation commencing January 2026 and first data anticipated by December 2026. The research partnership will run through the end of 2029, after which voestalpine will channel the green hydrogen into its other greentec steel development projects.

Herbert Eibensteiner, CEO of voestalpine, remarked, “Our phased greentec steel roadmap is gaining momentum: from 2027 we’ll bring on-stream electric-arc furnaces powered by renewable electricity in Linz and Donawitz while phasing out coal-fired blast furnaces. Achieving net-zero CO₂ by 2050 depends on innovations like H2FUTURE, which deliver crucial insights into hydrogen’s role in sustainable steelmaking.”

Michael Strugl, CEO of VERBUND, added, “Under H2FUTURE Follow-Up, VERBUND is optimizing hydrogen production, compression and purification under fluctuating renewable-energy conditions. Our additional one-ton storage capacity smooths supply variations and secures a reliable dispatch for industry partners. We’re proud to extend this pioneering collaboration with voestalpine.”

Since its debut, H2FUTURE’s 12 PEM stacks—each housing 50 electrolytic cells at a total capacity of 6 MW—have generated up to 1,200 m³ of green hydrogen per hour. The plant has produced several hundred tonnes of hydrogen to date and demonstrated its ability to respond rapidly to grid-frequency fluctuations caused by intermittent renewables.

voestalpine, listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1995, operates over 500 companies across 50 countries. In fiscal year 2024/25 it reported revenues of €15.7 billion and EBITDA of €1.3 billion, with a workforce of around 49,700. VERBUND, listed since 1988 (51% state-owned), generates roughly 96% of its electricity from renewables—chiefly hydropower—and trades power in 12 markets. In 2024 it achieved revenues of about €1.875 billion and EBITDA of €3.48 billion, with some 4,100 employees.

The voestalpine Group
voestalpine is a globally leading steel and technology group with a unique combination of materials and processing expertise. voestalpine, which operates globally, has around 500 Group companies and locations in more than 50 countries on all five continents. The voestalpine Group has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1995. With its premium products and system solutions, voestalpine is a leading partner to the automotive and machinery industries, as well as to the aerospace and energy industries. The company is also the global market leader in railway systems and special sections. voestalpine is committed to the global climate goals and has a clear plan for transforming steel production with its greentec steel program. In the business year 2024/25, the Group generated revenue of EUR 15.7 billion, with an operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 1.3 billion; it has around 49,700 employees worldwide.

About VERBUND

VERBUND is Austria’s leading energy company and one of Europe’s largest generators of electricity from hydropower. The company generates around 96% of its electricity from renewables, primarily hydropower. VERBUND trades in electricity in 12 countries and achieved an annual turnover of approximately EUR 1,875 million and an EBITDA of around EUR 3,480 million in 2024 with around 4,100 employees. With its subsidiaries and partners, VERBUND is active in the segments of electricity generation, transport, and international trade and distribution. VERBUND has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1988, with 51% of the share capital held by the Republic of Austria. Further information at www.verbund.com

Media Contact:

Peter Felsbach
Head of Group Communications & Spokesman
mediarelations@voestalpine.com
+43/50304/15-2090

SOURCE: voestalpine AG