19. Oct 2022

ERNE FITTINGS PRESENTS TUV CERTIFIED BUTT-WELD FITTINGS

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Erne Fittings, leading supplier of butt-weld fittings, will present in-house developed and manufactured high-tech components for hydrogen transport at the Hydrogen Technology Expo in Bremen on October 19th and 20th, 2022.
Erne Fittings is the first company in the world with a TÜV certified quality management system for the production of H2 fittings.

The need to reduce CO2 emissions is a major issue internationally. That is why the R&D department at Erne Fittings, headquartered in Schlins (Austria), began intensively working on defining a standard for the transport of hydrogen (H2), at an early stage. Now the fittings specialist will be the first in the world to present TÜV certified H2 fittings – at this year’s Hydrogen Technology Conference & Expo in Bremen on October 19th and 20th, 2022.

World’s first TÜV certified butt-weld fittings for H2
The industrial piping component company, is a pioneer within the industry. Thanks to developments in recent years, Erne Fittings’ products have also contributed to the energy transition in several ways. Fittings are used for example in plants for the generation and distribution of district heating, as well for the manufacture of components for electric vehicle production. The portfolio was now expanded to include H2-suitable pipe fittings, with Erne being the only company worldwide able to offer a product specifically certified for hydrogen transport. “As a premium manufacturer and supplier of butt-weld fittings in the approved market, we used our technical know-how at an early stage to develop fittings suitable for hydrogen. With these components, we can also make a further contribution to climate protection”, explains Matthias Kaufmann, CEO of the Erne Fittings Group, which also has sites in Mürzzuschlag (Austria) and Al-Jubail (Saudi Arabia).

Hydrogen Transport Standard developed with TÜV
As early as 2021, Erne Fittings set up an internal “Hydrogen Working Group” to develop its own piping components standard for the transport of 100 percent hydrogen. All of Erne Fittings’ experience with previous deliveries made for the global gas market was taken into consideration. The responsible TÜV SÜD in Munich then compared Erne Fittings’ proposal with the existing standard for hydrogen transport components. This builds on existing American, European and German hydrogen standards. “In the course of the certification process, we had to provide extensive evidence, complete an audit by TÜV SÜD and also carry out several trial productions of fittings for hydrogen pipelines”, explains Alexander Heimbeck, Senior Sales Manager at Erne, who managed development and coordinated the certification.

In-Depth understanding of the hydrogen issue
TÜV-SÜD standard P003 “Material resistance to compressed hydrogen” served partly as the basis for the qualification. However, throughout the audit, the company’s process reliability and project management capabilities also had to be proven. The audit report states, “The submitted documents and the audit interview indicate a deep understanding of the properties and regulations of and around hydrogen.” Bernd Klemisch, CFO of Erne Fittings Group, emphasizes: “It is thanks to the inquisitiveness and experience of our employees that we are able to be successful again and again with products and services of the highest quality. What sets us apart from other suppliers is our profound knowledge of applications, materials and standards, as well as our comprehensive technical know-how.”

Over 95 percent availability of the entire stock program
Founded in 1920, the Erne Fittings Group has been successfully carrying out international projects since the early 1970s. Even during the pandemic, the company was largely able to rely on proven supply chains in order to deliver reliably and technically conform. With three production sites in Austria and Saudi Arabia, a fully automated high-rack warehouse in Schlins with 10,000 storage locations, and over 3,000 articles, Erne is able to achieve an availability of over 95 percent with its entire stock program. It includes elbows, tees and reducers designed according to ASTM or EN standards.