When metals need to change their shape or hardness, this often requires an intensive heat treatment process. However, these industrial high-temperature procedures frequently produce significant amounts of greenhouse gases — especially CO₂. This is precisely where the HyHeat demonstration project comes in: in cooperation, the Schwartz Group from Simmerath — the world market leader in heat treatment systems for press hardening — and Forschungszentrum Jülich are working together to reduce CO₂ emissions.
The focus lies on a special demonstration plant that will be completed at the Schwartz Group by the end of the year. This facility is part of a heat treatment line and, for the first time, allows a seamless switch between multiple fuel gases, including hydrogen.
Project Context and Objectives
HyHeat is an initiative of the Helmholtz Cluster for a Sustainable and Infrastructure-Compatible Hydrogen Economy (HC-H2). Within this framework, Forschungszentrum Jülich and partners in the Rhenish Revier region are working to accelerate the market introduction of hydrogen-based, climate-friendly technologies and to generate new economic momentum as lignite is phased out by 2030.
The Schwartz Group — with over 250 employees at ten locations worldwide and more than 40 years of experience in developing and manufacturing heat treatment systems for steel, aluminum, and non-ferrous metals — is at the center of the project.
The demonstration focuses on low-emission heat treatment of press-hardenable steel blanks — preformed sheet components used in modern lightweight automotive body construction.
In a complex process, the blanks are heated to over 900 °C before being hardened and formed in a cooled press tool. At the company’s headquarters in Simmerath, a plant is being built whose burners can be operated with various fuel gases — including hydrogen, natural gas, propane, or gas mixtures. The so-called multi-fuel burners were developed by the subsidiary Econova GmbH.
Following installation, demonstration operations will begin: together with the Institute for Sustainable Hydrogen Economy (INW) at Forschungszentrum Jülich, it will be shown by the end of 2026 that flexible use of hydrogen-containing fuel gases is possible without compromising product quality.
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) with €1.71 million, within a total budget of €2.44 million.
Technologies “Made in Germany”
“By funding this project, we are making an important contribution to climate-conscious metal processing. Hydrogen is the key to reducing the overall CO₂ footprint of metal components. Moreover, this demonstration project enables flexible industrial processes, reduces dependencies, and anchors hydrogen use in rural areas. Today, hydrogen research supports a successful structural transformation in the Rhenish Revier region — tomorrow, the results can be applied to emission-intensive processes nationwide. With this foresight, we are shaping the energy supply of the future: with technologies ‘made in Germany,’ we create prosperity and protect the climate.” — Dr. Rolf-Dieter Jungk, State Secretary at the BMFTR
Flexibility and CO₂ Reduction
The CO₂ savings potential is substantial: a single heat treatment plant for press hardening can produce up to 3,000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year.
“Demand for climate-friendly manufactured components is growing. Alongside electrically heated systems, gas-fired systems remain in high demand. We want to offer our customers maximum flexibility. With a plant like the one we are demonstrating in HyHeat, customers will later be able to vary the fuel gas composition during operation without modifying the heating system. The system automatically detects the supplied fuel gas or gas mixture and adjusts the combustion control while maintaining constant performance,” says Frank Wilden, Technical Director of Schwartz GmbH.
The hydrogen-compatible plant offers users long-term planning security — regardless of future developments in the gas market.
“It’s important to us to drive innovation in heat treatment systems. With this demonstration project and its later industrial application, we are making an active contribution to climate protection and showing our customers how hydrogen can be integrated,” explains Alexander Wilden, Owner and Managing Director.
Searching for the Right Storage Solution
Within HyHeat, the INW at Forschungszentrum Jülich is using simulations to investigate which storage technology is most suitable when no hydrogen pipeline connection is available. Particular attention is being paid to chemical storage solutions, in which hydrogen is bound within larger molecules, making it easier to store and transport — with integrated heat utilization.
“The Schwartz Group’s heat treatment systems heat the blanks indirectly. The burner flame heats a metal tube from the inside, which then transfers the heat through its outer surface to the steel blank. The hot exhaust gas exits the tube without coming into contact with the blanks. We want to use the energy contained in this exhaust gas for the process of releasing hydrogen from the larger molecule,” says Philipp Morsch, who coordinates the scientific work at INW.
Temperatures of at least 290 °C are required to release the hydrogen from the carrier molecule. To achieve this, previously unused waste heat will be integrated into the process.
“One challenge is that the waste heat is not constant over time, since the burners are frequently switched on and off. We want to determine which chemical hydrogen storage system is best suited to these conditions,”
explains Philipp Morsch.
Chemical hydrogen storage systems could in the future reliably supply users without pipeline access. This is made possible by carrier molecules — such as dimethyl ether, methanol, or LOHCs (Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers) — which bind hydrogen and release it on demand. The discharged carrier molecule remains and can be reloaded with hydrogen, similar to a reusable bottle deposit system.
