At our seamless stainless-steel tube plant in the Basque Country, something transformative is happening. Through the EU-funded iWAYS project, Tubacex is leading the way in deploying next-generation technologies that recover heat, water, and materials from industrial processes—without stopping production for a single hour.

A new Heat Pipe Condensing Economiser (HPCE) installed at Tubacex captures waste heat from our furnaces and reintroduces it into the production cycle, significantly reducing gas consumption and CO₂ emissions. In parallel, advanced membrane-based treatment systems are being tested to recycle up to 95% of industrial wastewater—a breakthrough for the steel industry.

Despite the complexity of retrofitting these systems into a 24/7 operation, early data shows a reduction of more than 30% in pollutant emissions, the reuse of over 60% of water from flue gases, and recovery of up to 80% of process heat.

These milestones are not just technological—they are strategic

They align with our NT² 2027 plan, which places circular economy principles at the core of our industrial model. From low-carbon tubular solutions to digitalized energy monitoring, we are building an operational system designed to reduce waste, reuse resources, and extend the lifetime value of every input. This initiative, coordinated by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, has been funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 957284. At Tubacex, sustainability is not a side project—it is how we future-proof our business, reduce environmental impact, and create long-term value for our stakeholders and society. This is how a steel tube becomes part of a circular, resilient, and competitive Europe.