During the CRU Nitrogen+Syngas 2026 Conference in Barcelona, Casale and Paralloy Group formalised a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU), marking the beginning of a long-term collaboration aimed at redefining performance standards in steam methane reforming (SMR).
While the agreement centres on the joint commercialisation of Paralloy’s OMEGA® profiled reformer tube technology, both companies emphasised that the scope goes far beyond a single product. The partnership establishes an integrated approach combining advanced materials engineering with world-class process design expertise – with the objective of setting a new benchmark in reformer efficiency and capacity.
A long-term vision for next-generation SMR systems
Federico Zardi, CEO of Casale, commented: “Today we are signing an agreement for the joint commercialisation of an advanced product from Paralloy Group. But we see much more behind this MoU. Our objective is to build a long-term relationship, combining our respective strengths to bring the best solutions to the market for syngas generation and the production of ammonia, methanol, and hydrogen. We believe this complementary approach will position both companies further at the forefront of the industry”.
At the core of the collaboration lies the integration of Paralloy’s OMEGA profiled reformer tubes with Casale’s advanced reformer process design and plant-wide optimisation expertise.
Casale contributes decades of experience in steam methane reformer design, syngas integration, and performance optimisation across ammonia plants, methanol units, hydrogen production facilities, and refinery applications worldwide. This integrated know-how ensures that innovation at the component level is fully embedded within the overall process configuration, enabling tangible gains at both system and plant level.
Setting a new benchmark in capacity and efficiency
Through this alliance, Casale and Paralloy Group are not pursuing incremental improvements – they are redefining the performance envelope of primary reformers.
By combining optimised metallurgy and geometry with advanced process engineering, the partnership enables:
- Higher throughput and capacity beyond conventional design limits.
- Improved reaction rate efficiency.
- Significantly lower tube metal temperatures.
- Reduced fuel consumption.
- Extended equipment lifetime.
This system-level integration allows reformers to operate at performance levels previously unattainable with standard configurations.
The result is a structural leap in energy efficiency. Lower fuel consumption directly translates into reduced operating costs – and, as a direct consequence, lower CO2 emissions.
In this way, sustainability becomes an outcome of improved engineering performance.
Supporting energy-intensive industries worldwide
SMR remains a cornerstone technology for hydrogen production and syngas generation in:
- Ammonia plants.
- Methanol units.
- Refineries requiring high-purity hydrogen.
- Petrochemical complexes.
- Emerging low-carbon hydrogen projects.
Improving reformer efficiency has a direct impact on plant economics, competitiveness, and environmental performance across these sectors.
Robert McGowan, CEO of Paralloy Group, added: “At Paralloy Group, our cultural pillars are Innovation, Excellence, and Commitment. This partnership represents all three. Together, we bring cutting-edge material solutions and engineering expertise that can make a transformative difference for our customers. This is not just a commercial agreement – it is a commitment to deliver something truly unique to the market”.
A shared commitment to performance
The MoU reflects a shared ambition: to combine hardware innovation and process excellence into a fully integrated SMR solution capable of delivering unprecedented efficiency gains for energy-intensive industries.
By aligning advanced materials technology with deep process engineering expertise, Casale and Paralloy Group aim to define the next generation of high-performance reformers – where operational excellence, energy efficiency, and sustainability advance together.