Driving clean hydrogen solutions for steel

The Hydreams project brings together a diverse consortium of industry leaders and research institutions to develop innovative solutions for using clean hydrogen and digital tools in reheating and heat treatment for steel production. This collaborative effort aims to drive decarbonization in the steel sector by integrating cutting-edge technologies and expertise.

Partnering for a clean hydrogen revolution

This partnership brings together a diverse group of experts from industry and academia, united by a common goal: advancing the use of clean hydrogen and innovative technologies in steel production.

3 steel producers committed to integrating clean hydrogen into their operations.
1 clean hydrogen electrolyser manufacturer, developing cutting-edge hydrogen production technology.
1 gas producer/distributor, ensuring access to clean hydrogen and advancing hydrogen-compatible combustion solutions.
1 refractories manufacturer (Calderys), focused on enhancing furnace efficiency and longevity.
Public research organizations, such as TU Graz and BFI, offering expertise in materials, combustion modelling, and burner technologies.

Industrial partners like Messer, Halias, and Genvia bring essential capabilities in hydrogen technology and gas supply, ensuring the project’s success. Hydreams showcases the power of collaboration in transforming steel production, combining diverse skills to pave the way for a more sustainable and innovative future in heavy industry.

Swiss Steel Group

Swiss Steel Group is a global leader in the production of high-quality specialty long steel products, serving industries such as automotive, machinery, and construction. The company is committed to innovation and sustainability, continuously improving its processes to meet the needs of its customers while reducing its environmental impact.

As the project lead in the Hydreams initiative, Swiss Steel Group plays a central role in driving the development of clean hydrogen technologies for steel production. The company is responsible for providing steel samples for laboratory trials in the pilot furnace and performing quality characterizations. Additionally, Swiss Steel Group operates three demonstrators to test and refine the integration of clean hydrogen in steel reheating and heat treatment processes.

Meet the team

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TU Graz

The Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) is one of Austria's top universities, renowned for its research and education in engineering, technology, and applied sciences. With a strong emphasis on innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, TU Graz conducts cutting-edge research in areas such as energy, manufacturing, and sustainable technologies.

In the Hydreams project, TU Graz plays a pivotal role by operating the pilot furnace for laboratory trials, enabling the testing and optimization. Additionally, TU Graz contributes its expertise in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) by building a numerical RANS model of the demonstrators. This simulation work will provide critical insights into the efficiency and performance of the hydrogen-based systems.

Meet the team

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Messer

Messer is the world’s largest privately-owned specialist for industrial, medical, specialty, and electronic gases. Under the brand ‘Messer – Gases for Life’, the company offers gases, services and technology in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. 'Gases for Life' are indispensable in most industrial processes and help to meet the important requirements of our time. With customized gas solutions, Messer ensures greater safety, sustainability, efficiency, progress, and quality for its customers. Clean hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCUS), and oxyfuel technology play a significant role in the decarbonization of industry and mobility.

In the HYDREAMS project, Messer's role is pivotal in designing and providing flexible burners for demonstrators. These burners will be capable of using various fuel combinations, including air/natural gas, air/hydrogen, oxygen/natural gas, and oxygen/hydrogen, enabling the effective use of clean hydrogen in steel production.

Meet the team

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Genvia

Genvia is at the forefront of the hydrogen revolution, specializing in the development and commercialization of solid oxide electrolysis (SOEL) technology. The company focuses on creating scalable, cost-effective solutions for green hydrogen production, aiming to contribute significantly to the decarbonization of industries such as steel, chemicals, and energy.

In the Hydreams project, Genvia plays a crucial role by providing a 600 kg H2/day SOEL electrolyzer for the second UGITECH demonstrator. This electrolyzer will be pivotal in producing clean hydrogen to support the project’s goal of integrating hydrogen.

Meet the team

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Halias

Halias is a leading provider of advanced process control solutions, specializing in optimizing industrial processes across various sectors, including steel manufacturing. With a focus on digitalization and predictive analytics, Halias delivers cutting-edge technologies that enhance process efficiency, reduce emissions, and improve overall performance.

In the Hydreams project, Halias plays a key role by collecting on-line process data and developing predictive models for the demonstrators. Using advanced process control techniques, Halias will ensure optimal operation of the pilot systems, enabling precise control over the integration of clean hydrogen in steel reheating and heat treatment processes.

Meet the team

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Calderys

Calderys is a global leader in providing high-performance refractory solutions for various industries, including steel, cement, and energy. With decades of experience, Calderys specializes in designing and manufacturing refractory materials that enhance the durability, efficiency, and sustainability of industrial furnaces and reactors.

In the Hydreams project, Calderys plays a crucial role by designing and providing optimized refractory linings for the furnaces used in the demonstrators. These advanced refractory solutions are essential for ensuring the efficient operation of the pilot systems, particularly in the context of hydrogen-based combustion processes.

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BFI

For 50 years, BFI has been providing tailored solutions for the steel industry and beyond. As a research institute, BFI is closely connected to the process industry. With extensive expertise in areas such as energy efficiency, process optimization, measurement technology, and Industry 4.0, BFI develops practical solutions that are aligned with the current and future needs of the industry.

In the Hydreams project, BFI plays a key role by designing new components using 3D printing technology. These components will be used to retrofit existing air/NG burners, transforming them into air/H2 burners capable of utilizing clean hydrogen.

Meet the team

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Project impacts

Insights | 28/05/2025

Steel Scale Formation in Hydrogen vs. Gas Combustion

The presented paper, deals with the influence of natural gas and hydrogen air–fuel and oxy–fuel combustion on scale formation. A semi-industrial scale furnace with a multi-fuel, multi-oxidizer burner was used to generate diverse combustion atmospheres, which were utilized to heat steel samples of twelve distinct steel grades to 1250 °C. This simulates industrial steel reheating. The weight gains due to oxidation during the reheating was measured. Subsequently, the samples were metallurgically analyzed to identify potential discrepancies in the quality of the reheated steel. Via light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and electron probe micro-analysis, the structure and composition of the formed scale layer was scrutinized. The results showed, that weight gains were more dependent on the oxidizer, than on the fuel, resulting in a maximum increase of 63 % for H2-O2 combustion. Overall, the metallurgic results, showed no significant changes other than the thickness and the porosity of the scale layers.

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