Austria has reached a significant milestone in its green hydrogen ambitions as the country’s first green hydrogen production plant goes live in Styria. The pilot plant, located in Gabersdorf municipality, features a 1-MW electrolyser powered by a nearby solar park. This initial facility is part of a broader plan to expand the electrolysis capacity in the region to over 150 MW.
With a collector area of 6,000 sq m, the site is expected to produce 300 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually once fully expanded. The first recipient of this green hydrogen is Wolfram Bergbau und Huetten AG, a subsidiary of Sandvik Group, which will utilize 70 tonnes of the output to reduce natural gas usage at its metallurgical plant in St. Martin im Sulmtal, Styria.
Energie Steiermark, a local energy company, owns and operates the hydrogen production site, which required investments totaling EUR 10.5 million. Drawing from the lessons learned during the Gabersdorf pilot project, Energie Steiermark plans to collaborate with local industries to add an additional 150 MW of hydrogen production capacity. Simultaneously, the company aims to repurpose around 200 km of existing natural gas pipelines for hydrogen integration, further advancing their green hydrogen initiatives.
As Austria takes its first steps towards establishing a robust green hydrogen ecosystem, this milestone sets a promising precedent for future hydrogen developments in the country.
