Abu Dhabi Invests in OMV Hydrogen Plant in Bruck a.d. Leitha

"We will build Europe's fifth-largest electrolyzer, with which we can then produce green hydrogen," said OMV CEO Alfred Stern. The facility will be operational by the end of 2027 and is expected to reach 140 megawatts of electrolysis capacity to produce up to 23,000 tons of green hydrogen annually. The power supply is secured as the facility is located next to the substation in Bruck an der Leitha. Long-term contracts for green electricity have already been negotiated. Details about the electricity suppliers were not disclosed.

OMV Has Operational Leadership at Hydrogen Plant

The joint GmbH will have one managing director from OMV and one from Masdar, with OMV having operational leadership. "The absolutely new thing is that there is a direct investment from Abu Dhabi in Austria," emphasized Stern. The construction of the electrolyzer is expected to cost a "high three-digit million sum," with Masdar covering 49 percent. In earlier media reports, the total investment was estimated at 700 million euros - Stern did not want to confirm this in detail upon request.

The actual financial framework depends on the final funding and participation models, it is said. Among other things, OMV is seeking funding from the European Hydrogen Bank - an EU funding instrument that provides a fixed subsidy per kilogram of renewable hydrogen through auctions, financed from the Innovation Fund. "We are still in this auction process," said OMV board member Martijn van Koten, responsible for Fuels & Feedstock.

Green Hydrogen Entirely Intended for Schwechat Refinery

"The green hydrogen will be used exclusively in our refinery in Schwechat to decarbonize the fuels," explained Stern. "This is particularly interesting to meet EU guidelines on the one hand, but also to decarbonize areas that are difficult to electrify - such as heavy transport and aviation - and to produce sustainable fuels."

Masdar is the world's second-largest producer of renewable electricity, said Stern. "They bring experience and capital, and we see this as a basis to jointly develop future new business such as eSAF (synthetic aviation fuel, note)." Hydrogen is often discussed as "the new natural gas," said Stern. "It is currently not possible to replace natural gas one-to-one because green hydrogen is too expensive. We will use the entire production from the electrolyzer in the refinery."

(APA/Red)

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