OMV is laying the foundation stone for a major step toward a climate-neutral energy future with the construction of one of Europe’s largest electrolysis plants for green hydrogen. This significant initiative is a demonstration of the company’s Strategy 2030 commitment to decarbonization, supported by an innovative partnership. OMV has formed a powerful consortium with industry leaders Siemens Energy and STRABAG to build the 140 MW plant in Bruck an der Leitha, which is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2027. This landmark project will be central to creating an integrated green hydrogen ecosystem in Austria, fundamentally changing the sustainability of OMV’s refining processes.
Scale and Decarbonization Impact
The planned facility will be the largest of its kind in Austria, the largest in South-Eastern Europe, and will rank among the five largest in all of Europe.
Using renewable energy sourced from wind, solar, and hydropower, OMV expects to produce up to 23,000 tons of green hydrogen annually. This production will make a significant contribution to decarbonizing industrial processes at the OMV refinery in Schwechat.
The local production of green hydrogen will greatly increase the sustainability of the refinery’s fuel and chemical products. OMV projects this will result in an annual reduction of up to 150,000 tons of carbon emissions—approximately 10 percent of the refinery’s current direct, production-related emissions.
Investment and Infrastructure
OMV is investing a sum in the mid-hundreds of millions of euros in the plant. As part of this investment, the company will construct an approximately 22-kilometer-long hydrogen pipeline, directly connecting the electrolysis plant in Bruck an der Leitha to the Schwechat refinery. Both the operating and building permits for this pipeline have already been granted.
The project has also been positively assessed for funding by the European Hydrogen Bank. OMV is currently finalizing the funding agreement with the Austrian promotional bank, Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH (aws), with a contract with the Austrian Hydrogen Bank expected by the end of 2025.
Strategic Vision and Partnerships
Alfred Stern, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of OMV, views the plant as a clear signal for the energy transition: “We are creating an integrated ecosystem based on the use of green hydrogen… Green hydrogen is a key component of our Strategy 2030 as a means of decarbonising our fuel production and a key to OMV’s responsible transformation.”
OMV is relying on strong, innovative partners for implementation:
- Siemens Energy leads the consortium, supplying extensive expertise in electrolysis technology. They will handle the overall technical planning and implement key components like electrolysis stacks, transformers, and rectifiers under an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contract.
- STRABAG will be responsible for the entire civil construction work, including groundwork and constructing all buildings on the site, leveraging their expertise in industrial infrastructure.
The project reasserts OMV’s pioneering position in green hydrogen production within the European refinery sector, building on the company’s existing 10 MW electrolyzer already operating in Austria.
