Hydrogen Proves its Worth in the Rohrdorfer Cement Plant

In early July 2026, the Austrian cement manufacturer Rohrdorfer tested the thermal output of a kiln using hydrogen over two days of trials. Preparations had been underway since mid-2023, and the results have now been presented. Hydrogen proved to be fundamentally suitable for use in cement clinker production. However, the biggest obstacle currently lies in the availability of this alternative fuel.

Cement clinker, the main component of cement, requires temperatures of around 1,450 °C for its production. Using hydrogen in this application is challenging and has so far been little tested. The successful testing of hydrogen combustion therefore represents an important step towards the low-CO₂ production of this building material. The hydrogen was transported to the kiln by the engineering company Linde using a specially designed mobile gas unloading station.

The aim of the trial is to demonstrate that the use of green hydrogen represents a potential decarbonized alternative in the future fuel mix, explains Florian Wesenauer, project manager of the H₂ trial at Rohrdorfer. However, he emphasizes that economically viable use is not yet foreseeable. The costs for hydrogen are currently far too high, he stresses.