Medium-sized industry in the region is preparing for the hydrogen era: Hohenlohe-based joining technology specialist ARNOLD UMFORMTECHNIK is planning to convert its energy-intensive hardening shop to the climate-neutral energy source. The District Administrator of the Heilbronn district, Norbert Heuser, has now visited the ARNOLD site in Dörzbach to find out more about these efforts. As hydrogen coordinator for the Stuttgart metropolitan region, he is driving forward the expansion of the necessary infrastructure.
ARNOLD has been committed to sustainable energy supply since the company was founded in 1898. Back then, the hydropower of the Kocher river was used for production. Today, the company is planning the next step: the new technology center at the Dörzbach site is scheduled to go into operation by 2026 and will enable the efficient use of various renewable energy sources.
The company, which has already been producing CO2-compensated since 2021, is thus preparing for the next phase of the energy transition. Millions have been earmarked for this investment. However, the current debate surrounding the expansion of the hydrogen infrastructure is causing uncertainty.
“We at ARNOLD want to make our contribution to climate neutrality and are clearly committed to the Hohenlohe location,” emphasized Bernd Weidner, who is responsible for sustainability as COO on the management board of ARNOLD UMFORMTECHNIK, at the meeting with representatives of the press. “It is still unclear how the hydrogen core network will run and how we can be connected to it.” As a company, ARNOLD is already “H2-ready” and could convert its heat treatment processes to hydrogen in no time at all. “Our annual requirement would be around 260 tons of hydrogen,” says Weidner. According to Weidner, the hardening plant in Dörzbach currently consumes as much gas as a small town with 2,500 inhabitants.
According to Weidner, however, it is also crucial in this context that steel manufacturers have access to green and affordable hydrogen. “This is the only way we can purchase competitive and sustainable steel, which is crucial for our global competitiveness.” For long-term investment decisions, it is now important to obtain a clear political framework.
“The Heilbronn-Franken region has the potential to establish itself as a pioneer in the use of hydrogen,” explained District Administrator Heuser. “Companies like ARNOLD show that medium-sized industry wants to actively shape the change. The task of the federal government is to create a reliable framework so that the necessary infrastructure can be provided.” Heuser emphasized that rural business locations should not be at a disadvantage compared to metropolitan areas when it comes to expanding the hydrogen core network.
ARNOLD has been active in the field of hydrogen for a long time, including on the product side. This is thanks in part to its long-standing Head of Development Uwe Wolfarth. Under his leadership, the company began developing connecting elements for hydrogen applications, particularly for cars and commercial vehicles, eight years ago. The company's involvement in networks such as the Saxon hydrogen and innovation cluster HZwo, which organized a potential workshop at the Kocher plant in Ernsbach in April 2024, underlines its pioneering role. “We don't wait until a technology is ready for the market, but work on the basics years in advance,” explained Wolfarth. “That was the case with the standardization of screws more than a hundred years ago, and it's the same now with hydrogen drives.”
District Administrator Norbert Heuser (Heilbronn district) is the spokesperson for hydrogen in the Stuttgart metropolitan region. At the Metropolitan Congress in November 2024, the working group presented concrete recommendations for the development of a hydrogen infrastructure. These include a multi-year funding program for regional H2 hubs and the technology-neutral integration of hydrogen into municipal heating plans. Norbert Heuser also coordinates the activities in the Heilbronn-Franken hydrogen model region via the H2 Impuls initiative.
About the ARNOLD GROUP
ARNOLD stands internationally for innovative joining technology at the highest level. Based on many years of expertise in the production of intelligent fasteners and highly complex extruded parts, the ARNOLD GROUP has developed into a comprehensive supplier and development partner for complex fastening systems. With the positioning of “BlueFastening Systems”, this development is now being continued under a single roof. Engineering, fasteners and functional parts as well as feeding systems and processing technology from a single source form a unique combination of experience and know-how - efficient, sustainable and international. ARNOLD has been part of the Würth Group since 1994.