OMV to receive 123-million euros from Austrian government for green-hydrogen project

The 140-megawatt plant will produce up to 23,000 tons of green hydrogen per year, which will be fed to the Schwechat refinery via a 22-kilometer pipeline to decarbonize refining operations. (Image: OMV)

OMV announced Jan. 7 that it has signed a funding agreement with Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH that will guarantee production funding of up to 123-million euros (USD$143.3 million) for the planned green-hydrogen plant in Bruck an der Leitha in Lower Austria.

The project was previously assessed positively and recommended for funding by the European Hydrogen Bank.

This landmark project will make a significant contribution to Austria’s hydrogen strategy and OMV’s Strategy 2030. 

“The positive assessment made by the European Hydrogen Bank and the resulting funding from the Austrian state for our green-hydrogen plant is a strong signal for the future of sustainable energy supply and Austria as a location,” said Alfred Stern, chairman of the executive board and CEO of OMV. “With our project, we are setting a milestone for the energy transition in Europe and showing how OMV combines innovation and responsibility.”

OMV is investing a sum in the mid-hundreds of millions of euros in Bruck an der Leitha.

The 140-megawatt plant is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2027 and will then be one of the five largest in Europe.

At the plant, OMV will produce up to 23,000 tons of green hydrogen annually using renewable energy from wind, solar and hydropower, leading to a saving of up to 150,000 tons of carbon emissions per year.

“By generating green hydrogen locally, this plant with a 22-kilometer pipeline running directly to the OMV refinery in Schwechat will make a considerable contribution to our decarbonization,” said Martijn van Koten, OMV’s executive vice president of fuels and chemicals. 

In November, OMV and Masdar, a leading global company for clean energy, signed an agreement to establish a joint venture.

The planned joint venture comprises the financing, construction and operation of the 140-megawatt electrolyzer plant to generate green hydrogen in Bruck an der Leitha.

The joint venture is expected to be concluded in early 2026, subject to the completion of the final documents, agreement from shareholders and regulatory approval.