A major energy company, OMV, has started a large project to strengthen its role in moving toward cleaner energy. The company is building a new 140-megawatt plant in the town of Bruck an der Leitha, Austria. When finished, it is expected to be one of the biggest plants in Europe for making clean hydrogen, reports Inspenet.
The plan is to use power from the wind, sun, and water to produce as much as 23,000 tons of hydrogen every year. Officials say this project should cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 150,000 tons each year. That amount is equal to 10% of the emissions that come directly from the company’s Schwechat oil refinery.
The clean hydrogen will be used at the refinery for its industrial work and to make fuels and chemicals with a lower environmental impact. This approach will allow for production that is better for the environment and happens closer to home, making the area’s energy supply more self-reliant.
Building the new facility will be a team effort. The company Siemens Energy will provide the core systems and important parts like transformers and compressors. Another company, STRABAG, will handle the design and construction of the physical plant and structures.
The partnership between OMV, Siemens Energy, and STRABAG aims to create a new model for how large clean hydrogen plants are built in southeastern Europe.
OMV is putting several hundred million euros into the project. This also includes building a 22-kilometer pipeline to carry the hydrogen directly to its refinery in Schwechat. All the necessary permits have been received, and the company hopes to finalize its funding agreement with the European Hydrogen Bank and an Austrian government agency, called aws, before the end of 2025.
If everything goes according to plan, the new hydrogen plant should be up and running by the end of 2027, securing OMV’s place as a leading producer of sustainable hydrogen in Europe.
