OMV has commenced operations at its new 10-megawatt green hydrogen plant at the Schwechat refinery near Vienna, marking the largest facility of its kind in Austria. The plant, which required an investment of approximately €25 million, is expected to produce up to 1,500 metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually.
Powered entirely by renewable electricity from wind, hydro, and solar sources, the facility uses polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis technology. The green hydrogen produced will be used to support the manufacturing of more sustainable fuels and chemicals, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (HVO). OMV estimates the plant could result in annual carbon savings of up to 15,000 metric tonnes—equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of around 2,000 individuals in the EU.
“With the start-up of Austria’s largest electrolysis plant, we are reinventing how essentials we use in everyday life are produced sustainably,” said Martijn van Koten, OMV Executive Board Member for Fuels & Feedstock and Chemicals. “Green hydrogen is at the heart of this transformation, serving as a critical component in producing fuels and chemicals while advancing the decarbonisation of our Schwechat site.”
The plant has been certified under the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) for the production of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs). It forms part of the WIVA P&G – Hydrogen Initiative Model Region Austria Power & Gas – and has received backing from Austria’s Climate and Energy Fund, with Kommunalkredit providing development support.
The project aligns with OMV’s broader sustainability agenda, including its ambition to become net zero by 2050. Green hydrogen, alongside efforts in geothermal energy, sustainable aviation fuel, and chemical recycling, plays a key role in the company’s energy transition strategy.
PEM electrolysis works by using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, with hydrogen collected as a clean energy carrier. The technology is considered a vital solution for decarbonising hard-to-abate industrial sectors.
OMV’s latest investment underscores its commitment to establishing a robust green hydrogen supply chain within Europe and to driving industrial-scale decarbonisation.
