Together with H2Tainer, Innofreight and voestalpine Tubulars are bringing to market a container for hydrogen transport that is of great importance for the production of green steel. The H2Tainer was officially presented for the first time in Kindberg as part of a “technical premiere.”
Hydrogen is considered a key technology with enormous potential on the path toward producing green steel. With the newly developed H2Tainer, Innofreight and voestalpine Tubulars are taking a major step toward this goal. The H2Tainer is a mobile container solution for the efficient and safe transport of hydrogen, developed in cooperation with HyCentA. It is 40 feet long, can be stacked, and each container can carry up to 475 kilograms of hydrogen — equivalent to 1,900 kilograms on a double wagon.
The latest joint solution guarantees an uninterrupted logistics chain for the safe transport of hydrogen. At the heart of the H2Tainer are seamless tubes with a special VAhyper threaded connection. They are designed, manufactured, and refined at the tube mill in Kindberg. The logistics expertise comes from Innofreight, which is expanding its portfolio with the intermodal H2Tainer — also in the area of decarbonization. “We are seeing a significant rise in demand in this segment, for example in the transport of biomass or recycled scrap. With the H2Tainer, we can now also support hydrogen transport,” says Innofreight owner Peter Wanek-Pusset. The modular system enables cooperation between rail and road transport, does not require a direct rail connection, and ensures significantly longer ranges.
Specification:
Container length: 40 ft
Storage capacity: up to 475 kg per container (1,900 kg for 4 containers on a double wagon)
Maximum storage pressure: 500 bar
Diameter: 7 ⅝ inches
Maximum length: 10,800 mm
Quantity: up to 48 tubes per container (depending on pressure and means of transport)
The H2Tainer combines tailored services along the entire value chain: from procurement, production, and assembly to shipping, service, and maintenance. Its modular design, non-destructive testing, and easy replacement of individual tubes ensure a service life well beyond 20 years. This is an important step toward green steel that Innofreight and voestalpine Tubulars are taking together thanks to the H2Tainer.
“Our logistics expertise and the tube expertise of voestalpine Tubulars complement each other perfectly — this collaboration has resulted in an exceptional product. The H2Tainer has excellent market prospects, as hydrogen will be one of the key energy sources of the future. We are proud to contribute to decarbonization and the production of green steel together with voestalpine Tubulars,” emphasizes Wanek-Pusset.
