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" Sustainability is a cultural shift that empowers everyone to play a role.”
to minimise leakage, reduce noise, and achieve maintenance-free operation,” Drehmel explains.
The prototype is undergoing testing, with commercialisation planned for 2026.“ We are conducting external leakage and functional tests with a laboratory in the Netherlands,” he says.“ The results will support our marketing efforts and customer engagement.”
A key innovation lies in the elimination of dynamic elastomeric gaskets, replacing them with metallic sealing technology. This significantly extends service intervals and allows for longer operational uptime, which is particularly important in remote or high-risk installations where maintenance activities are logistically complex and costly.
Fuel gas metering valves for pure hydrogen service, a previously announced R & D project, have also reached maturity.“ We’ ve delivered several units, and customer feedback has been positive,” Drehmel confirms.“ We adapted technology from our cryogenic valve development to achieve maintenance-free performance.”
“ We realised we were already doing many good things,” he says.“ Switching to LED lighting, digitising our processes, using frequencycontrolled compressors, offering electric company cars and bike leasing – all of these contribute.”
PRUSS also supplies valves for heat pumps, carbon capture projects, and, of course, hydrogen applications.“ It made sense to compile our efforts and make them visible,” Drehmel explains.“ Sustainability reporting is not just about compliance – it’ s about communicating who we are.”
However, he acknowledges the challenges.“ Each year, you must show improvement. That is difficult for a production facility under cost pressure, especially when outsourcing basic machining to Asia introduces transport emissions. Still, monitoring is the first step.”
Efforts are also under way to make sustainability part of the corporate DNA.“ We are educating our teams, initiating internal campaigns, and involving employees in identifying areas of improvement,” says Drehmel.“ It’ s a cultural shift that empowers everyone to play a role.”
In parallel, PRUSS is also reviewing its supplier base to prioritise partnerships with companies that uphold comparable environmental and social
The importance of reliability in this context cannot be overstated. As Drehmel notes,“ When we deliver a valve, it may not enter service until one or two years later. This means the product must meet the highest standards from day one. There is no room for error.”
Sustainability as a strategy
Beyond product development, sustainability has become a major theme for PRUSS. Although the company is not legally required to produce a sustainability report, its parent company, Certina Holding, has pushed for compliance. Drehmel views this not as a burden, but as an opportunity.
Set of fuel gas valves capable of handling 100 % hydrogen
12 Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 22 | June 2025