Linde has signed a long-term agreement with Infineon Technologies for the onsite production and storage of high-purity green hydrogen, alongside the supply of other industrial gases. It will be the first time green hydrogen is used in Infineon's semiconductor manufacturing process.

Linde will build, own and operate a two-megawatt electrolyzer plant at Infineon's Villach site in Austria. The plant will produce green hydrogen using proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology from ITM Power, which Linde will then purify to meet the rigorous specifications needed in Infineon's manufacturing process. The use of this high-purity green hydrogen is part of Infineon's plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at their Villach site.

The company will also build, own and operate a compact air separation unit at the Villach site to deliver a reliable supply of nitrogen in addition to a bulk storage system to supply additional industrial gases to meet Infineon's expanding requirements. The new Linde facilities are expected to start up in 2022.

"Finding sustainable methods of manufacturing is essential to achieving our climate targets," said Thomas Reisinger, Board Member Operations at Infineon Technologies Austria. "By introducing an electrolysis system at the Infineon Villach site, we are equipping ourselves for the future by securing the essential supply of high-purity hydrogen while reducing our emissions."