Corporate | 28 November 2025 17:55
Media announcement
Zug, November 28, 2025 – The «Association for the Decarbonization of Industry» (VZDI), founded in 2022, together with its members and Empa, officially inaugurated an innovative methane pyrolysis plant on the Tech Cluster Zug site this afternoon. This project was made possible by the visionary collaboration of 16 renowned companies and Empa, with the support of the Canton of Zug. The facility represents a significant milestone on the path towards Swiss industry's net-zero targets by 2050.
The newly installed pyrolysis plant uses a technology in which methane (from biogas or natural gas) is heated in a microwave reactor and thereby split into hydrogen and powdered carbon. This allows methane to be used for energy without emitting CO 2 as a by-product. The substitution of fossil fuels with hydrogen produced by pyrolysis represents a significant step towards the gradual decarbonization of high-temperature industrial processes, which are the third-largest source of industrial emissions in many industrial companies.
The goal is to integrate the newly installed industrial pilot plant into the regular production process by the end of 2026 and to supply V-ZUG with climate-friendly hydrogen for its enameling furnaces. The plant will deliver up to 10 kg of hydrogen per hour with a purity of 95–99%. In this way, annual emissions of up to 240 tonnes of CO₂ can be saved. This will enable V-ZUG to gradually decarbonize the enameling line, which is one of the last remaining major CO₂ emitters. At the same time, around 66 tonnes of solid carbon are produced annually, which can potentially be used as a resource in the construction and agricultural sectors.
A long-term vision involves using synthetic (renewable) methane instead of fossil natural gas in the future. If this methane were produced in the Earth’s sunbelt using solar energy, electrolytically generated hydrogen, and CO₂ extracted from the atmosphere, it would result in negative emissions. This would reduce the consumption of natural gas in Zug, Switzerland, and Europe, paving the way for a sustainable energy supply.
Project process and financing
The project was initiated and coordinated by the Association for the Decarbonization of Industry. In addition to the Canton of Zug, Metall Zug AG, and Tech Cluster Zug AG, many other renowned companies are members of the association: Accelleron, AVAG, amag, Holcim, Partners Group, Sakowin, SHL Medical, Siemens, Sika, Sulzer, Swiss Safety Center, V-ZUG, VZ Depository Bank, and WWZ. The partners have advanced this forward-looking idea with extensive technical expertise as well as financial and personnel commitment. In total, more than CHF 8 million have been invested in the project by all partners. Metall Zug supported the project through its internal Greenhouse Gas Fund.
Ceremonial inauguration event
Today’s inauguration began with a welcome speech by Beat Weiss, Chairman of the VZDI. This was followed by a presentation from Government Councillor Silvia Thalmann-Gut on Zug’s role as an innovation hub and ecosystem. A keynote speech was then delivered by Christian Bach, Head of Department at Empa, on the topic “Methane pyrolysis for industrial decarbonization – an overview.”
The official part of the event concluded with a panel discussion, moderated by Marina Villa, on the importance of collaboration between research, politics, and industry. Among the panelists were Joël Mesot (ETH Zurich), Tanja Zimmermann (Empa), Silvia Thalmann-Gut (Canton Zug), Simon Kronenberg (Holcim), Adrian Theiler (V-ZUG), and Andreas Bittig (Metall Zug).
“During today’s inauguration, the great interest and the many insightful questions demonstrated how important and urgent innovative solutions for the decarbonization of industrial energy supply are. My team and I are excited to embark on the next phase with such strong momentum and to gain further valuable insights in favor of a climate-friendly energy solution for industry.” (Andreas Bittig, Project Leader VZDI / Metall Zug)
The association's representatives and project partners emphasized that the new facility marks a milestone on the path to decarbonization and the realization of a climate-neutral industry in Switzerland. The close cooperation between companies and scientific institutions stands for innovative strength and sets benchmarks for future projects in other regions. Through the close networking of science, industry, and politics, further collaborative projects are emerging that aim to create an economically viable ecosystem and actively contribute to the reduction of CO₂ emissions.
About Tech Cluster Zug AG
Tech Cluster Zug AG is a forward-looking company within the Metall Zug Group that is driving forward the development of the Tech Cluster Zug in the city of Zug. The aim of Tech Cluster Zug AG is to create an innovative urban district that combines technology, innovation, production and living. As a key driver of modern urban development, Tech Cluster Zug AG stands for sustainable construction, high-quality architecture and affordable housing.
About the Metall Zug Group
Metall Zug is a group of industrial companies headquartered in Zug. The Group has around 1,000 employees and comprises three Business Units:
In addition, Metall Zug holds anchor participations in the listed V-ZUG Holding AG (30%), the listed Komax Holding AG (25%) and SteelcoBelimed AG (33%), a joint venture with Miele. The holding company Metall Zug AG is listed in the Swiss Reporting Standard of SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich (type B registered shares: securities number 3982108, ticker symbol METN).
Legal Notes
The expectations expressed in this announcement are based on assumptions. Actual results may vary from those anticipated. This announcement is published in German and English. The German version is binding. Metall Zug AG processes personal data in accordance with its privacy statement available under:
https://metallzug.ch/en/privacy
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| Key Dates | |
| March 23, 2026 | Publication Annual Report / Earnings Conference |
| May 8, 2026 | General Meeting of Shareholders 2026 |
| August 24, 2026 | Publication of Half-year Report 2026 |
| Further Information | |
| Metall Zug AG | Tech Cluster Zug AG |
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Bettine Killmer
Head of Corporate Communications & IR Phone: +41 58 768 60 50 |
Marisa Schwyter
Marketing & Communications Manager Phone: +41 58 768 60 22 |
or: investorrelations@metallzug.ch
This announcement is available at https://metallzug.ch/en/media .