When people think about the energy transition, they often picture wind turbines and new installations. Alieke and Patricia see something else just as essential: infrastructure. Pipelines beneath the ground and under the sea will form the backbone of hydrogen and CO₂ transport. “You can produce all the hydrogen you want, but if you can’t transport it, it’s of little use,” says Alieke. “That’s why we work on steel for large transport pipelines that can move hydrogen and CO₂ safely and at scale.”

Why this is bigger than you might think

These pipelines are not only needed for hydrogen infrastructure, but also for Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS): capturing and storing CO₂. “Many networks were originally built for natural gas, but this is not natural gas 2.0,” explains Patricia. “The steel must be demonstrably reliable over time – including at low temperatures and along the entire length of a pipeline.”

Together, Alieke and Patricia ensure that projects move beyond the question of whether something is possible and towards how it can be done. Our steel is supplied to manufacturers who turn it into pipes. Those pipes are then used in many places, including:

• Hydrogen networks (the so‑called hydrogen highway)
• CO₂ transport pipelines
• Energy, water and infrastructure projects (large-scale connections)
• Cross-border energy networks (where countries connect their systems)

This work touches on major themes such as energy security, decarbonising industry, and the safe delivery of infrastructure projects.

An additional challenge

“That means a large part of the energy transition remains invisible, while preparations are already well underway,” says Alieke. “Our steel has to meet very high requirements: it must be extremely strong and perform at low temperatures. With hydrogen there is an additional challenge, because there is not yet a single, established standard. We are currently developing those standards using data, testing and real-world experience – together with our customers and their partners.” “The entire value chain is involved,” Alieke adds. “Forming, welding, testing, behaviour in service… This helps prevent discovering late in a project that something behaves slightly differently than expected.”

By working closely with colleagues from New Product Development, Commercial, Marketing, Customer Technical Support, R&D and Production – including KTO for factory trials – as well as externally with pipe manufacturers, customers, certification bodies and test partners, we have access to extensive data. “It’s no longer technology on one side and commercial on the other,” Alieke emphasises. “Market questions and test results continuously inform each other, and we are very grateful for the support across the company in helping us deliver the best possible product. Developing new solutions and conducting trials is demanding for teams, but it is an indispensable link in the success of this product.”

In Düsseldorf, conversations were already shifting away from if and increasingly towards how. “We’re seeing more and more signals that the trial material works,” says Patricia. “Customers are turning it into pipes and the tests are producing good results. The next step? Scaling up: more strength grades, more dimensions and structural deliveries. Line pipe is still often project-based, which requires additional qualifications.”

Steel fit for purpose

Did you know that Europe alone plans to install more than 50,000 kilometres of hydrogen pipelines in the coming years? That’s around two-fifths of the current natural gas transmission network. Much of that network will be converted or newly built – and yes, that requires steel suitable for hydrogen transport. “A large part of the energy transition is invisible, but it literally runs on steel,” Alieke and Patricia emphasise. “Line pipe is not a niche product: it is infrastructure that determines whether hydrogen and CCS remain plans on paper – or become reality.”