The Rolling Mill Develops Pipes for Hydrogen Technologies

Hydrogen could play a key role in everyday life in the coming years, provided it becomes commercially available. To support its storage and transport, the rolling mill of Třinecké železárny in Ostrava – the Tube Rolling Mill (VT) – is working on developing a certified pipe that will be competitive in the market.

Last year, the rolling mill in Ostrava produced a trial batch of nearly 10 tonnes of pipes from a special material for Vítkovice Cylinders. These pipes are intended for high-pressure cylinders used to store hydrogen. Final testing by the end customer is scheduled for this year.

"Since last year, we have been a member of the Czech Hydrogen Technology Platform (Hytep), which brings together more than 70 companies from across the country. These are companies that are developing hydrogen-related technologies or including hydrogen-related products in their portfolios," said Tomáš Gajdzica, Production Director of Třinecké železárny.

"Together with other stakeholders, we aim to utilize the information available through the hydrogen platform for our work. At the same time, we are looking for partners and grant programs that would support us in this area," added Daniel Szotkowski, Head of the Tube Rolling Mill in Ostrava-Vítkovice. He specified that these grants would enable the rolling mill to research the materials they use, particularly suitable pipes for manufacturing hydrogen cylinders or pipelines for hydrogen transport.

The development of the hydrogen economy in the Czech Republic is accelerating, and its utilization will depend on the gradual progress of decarbonization and technological advancements. Approximately 100,000 tonnes of hydrogen are consumed annually in the Czech Republic, mainly for the chemical industry. However, there is significant potential to use hydrogen not only as a raw material but also as a fuel and energy carrier.

It is expected that as hydrogen becomes more widely used as an energy carrier, the demand for materials resistant to its effects will also grow. "That is why we are actively seeking grant programs that would help us develop the technology for producing pipes with the necessary resistance to hydrogen exposure. At the same time, we are establishing collaborations with leading research centers such as the Technopark of the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague and SVÚM. These institutions study material resistance to hydrogen using state-of-the-art equipment for major players in the gas industry," explained Jiří Cibulka, Head of Research and Industrial Property Management at Třinecké železárny.

Currently, leading manufacturers of seamless steel pipes are striving to include pipes for hydrogen projects, such as hydrogen pipelines and storage tanks. These "H2 Ready" pipes are already offered by manufacturers like Vallourec, Tenaris, and Nippon Steel Corporation.

"Although hydrogen as an energy fuel is still more of a topic of discussion than practical application, we are working with our technical, marketing, and sales teams to explore ways to implement the H2 Ready program at the Tube Rolling Mill," concluded Daniel Szotkowski.