Voestalpine and VERBUND expand H2FUTURE hydrogen project in Linz

Steel company Voestalpine and Austria’s largest electricity supplier VERBUND have announced a major expansion of the H2FUTURE hydrogen research project in Linz (Austria), which is considered one of the longest-running in the world.

The project, which has been operating since 2019 based on PEM electrolysis technology, will receive new infrastructure for the purification, compression, storage, and transportation of green hydrogen. The total investment in the new phase of research is €16.4 million.

As part of the H2FUTURE Follow-up initiative, a purification plant, a compression system, and five hydrogen tanks with a total capacity of one ton will be installed at the Voestalpine site. Preparations for the expansion took two years, and commissioning work will begin in January 2026. The first research results are expected by the end of 2026, and the project is scheduled for completion in December 2029.

Voestalpine will use green hydrogen in a number of internal research programs, including as part of its greentec steel strategy, which envisages a gradual transition to environmentally friendly steel production. Starting in 2027, electric arc furnaces are to be put into operation at the Linz and Donawitz plants, replacing two blast furnaces. The company plans to achieve zero CO2 emissions by 2050.

VERBUND is responsible for the hydrogen infrastructure and ensuring a stable supply of hydrogen even during production fluctuations. In 2019, H2FUTURE became the largest hydrogen pilot project in the world, and now, thanks to a new phase of research, it is set to lay the foundation for the industrial use of green hydrogen in Europe.

Despite the difficult global economic situation, the voestalpine Group ended the 2024/25 financial year (ended March 31, 2025) with solid financial results. Consolidated revenue amounted to €15.7 billion (-5.6% y/y), EBITDA to €1.3 billion, and net profit after tax reached €179 million.