Vienna-based integrated chemicals, fuels and energy company OMV has announced its decision to invest “a mid-three-digit million-euro sum” in constructing a 140 MW green hydrogen electrolysis facility in Lower Austria.
The company states that this green hydrogen plant will be one of Europe’s largest, providing its nearby Schwechat refinery with green hydrogen and reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 150,000 tonnes annually.
Green hydrogen is considered a crucial element in transitioning to a cleaner energy future, especially for industrial and transport sectors where renewable energy solutions such as wind or solar are less feasible.
Globally, around 90 million metric tonnes of hydrogen are produced each year, but the majority is derived using fossil fuels, which generate pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Developing clean hydrogen capacity, like green hydrogen, which utilises renewable energy to extract hydrogen from other materials, will require substantial investment in infrastructure, electrolysis, and transportation.
According to OMV, the new facility is expected to become operational by the end of 2027, producing green hydrogen using renewable energy from wind, solar, and hydro power. This project follows the completion in 2024 of a 10 MW electrolyser facility, built in partnership with Kommunalkredit, an Austrian bank specialised in financing infrastructure. As one of Europe’s first green hydrogen production plants, it has been certified as Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) under the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) legislation.
Martijn van Koten, OMV Executive Vice President Fuels & Feedstock and Chemicals, stated:
“With this project, we are re-inventing the production of everyday essential fuels and chemical products – a groundbreaking step that demonstrates how industrial innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand. By using green hydrogen in the future, we are making the processes and production of fuels and chemical products more sustainable and are future-proofing our industry.”
In 2022, OMV launched its “Strategy 2030” to transition from oil and gas production to renewable fuels and circular solutions, aiming to become a net zero emissions company by 2050.
