Research project investigates hydrogen utilization in high-temperature processes

26.11.2025

Source: E & M powernews

The H2Rollout project is analysing the switch from natural gas to hydrogen in a batch hot-dip galvanizing plant. Initial tests are underway in a ZINQ pilot boiler in Castrop-Rauxel.

In the H2Rollout research project, a consortium led by Westfälische Hochschule Gelsenkirchen is investigating the behavior of flat-flame burners and their conversion to hydrogen. These burners are widely used in batch hot-dip galvanizing, according to a statement from the "H2Raum" transfer initiative. The aim of the project is to achieve a hydrogen content of 100 percent in the galvanizing process. Green hydrogen is considered an alternative fuel, but its use is technically challenging due to different flame characteristics to natural gas. The decisive factor is therefore how hydrogen burners affect boilers, exhaust gas values and efficiency levels.

The Zinq galvanizing plant in Castrop-Rauxel is participating in the project and is providing a boiler as a pilot plant. Initially, an existing flat flame burner is to be replaced by a hydrogen-compatible variant and integrated into the existing control system. At the same time, the company is examining options for a reliable and economical hydrogen supply.

The Head of Plant Engineering at Zinq, Robert Mill, says: "We have high hopes for the project." It forms the technical basis for a possible conversion as soon as the political and economic framework conditions are in place. It is crucial that, in addition to the technology, the regulatory, infrastructural and economic conditions are also right in the end.

Solution sought for process heat-intensive industries

At the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences in Gelsenkirchen, Prof. Martin Habermehl is responsible, among other things, for the flow simulations that will enable the hydrogen flame to be adapted to previous natural gas processes. His team is also accompanying the trial operation, during which the combustion behavior, temperature control, water content and nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas are measured, among other things.

"The difficulty lies in ensuring that the combustion remains stable throughout and that it can be integrated into the existing process," says Habermehl. This is because the liquid zinc has a narrow temperature tolerance range that must be maintained.

ProPuls GmbH, a spin-off of the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences, is responsible for the control and regulation technology. The measurement data and simulation results it collects serve as the basis for optimizing the process control, explains Philipp Neuhaus, Team Leader for MSR Technology.

H2Rollout is funded by the "T!Raum - TransferRäume für die Zukunft von Regionen" program of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The project is part of the "H2Raum" transfer initiative, which was launched by the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences and the Fraunhofer IEG and runs until 2028. The partners are pursuing the goal of developing a transferable solution for the galvanizing industry and other process-heat-intensive sectors.

Author: Fritz Wilhelm