OMV Kicks Off Austria’s Largest 140 MW Green Hydrogen Electrolysis Plant

On September 2025, OMV got the ball rolling on Austria’s biggest green hydrogen setup yet—a 140 MW electrolysis plant at the Schwechat refinery just outside Vienna. It’s a pretty big deal for hydrogen production, helping the refinery switch gears toward sustainable energy and chopping off roughly 150,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year.

• Who: OMV, alongside infrastructure whiz Kommunalkredit and supporters like the Climate and Energy Fund Austria.
• What: A mammoth 140 MW PEM electrolyzer—the largest in Austria.
• Where: Schwechat refinery in Lower Austria, a stone’s throw from Vienna.
• When: Ground broke on 30/09/2025, with operations slated for end-2027.
• Why: To decarbonize refinery processes, crank out sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel, and nail Austria’s net-zero-by-2050 pledge.

Inside the Electrolyzer

So, what’s powering this show? 100% renewable juice—wind turbines, solar farms and hydropower plants feed the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) stacks that split water into hydrogen and oxygen. It’s like flipping on a switch and tearing H₂O apart at the molecular level. Thanks to the EU’s RED II rules, the hydrogen gets stamped as RFNBO (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin), so you know there’s no fossil sneaking into the mix.

At full throttle, we’re talking about 20,000 tonnes of green hydrogen every year. That feeds right into OMV’s refining and chemicals lines, unlocking:

• Sustainable aviation fuel blending to slim down jet-fuel carbon footprints.
• Renewable diesel that checks all the EU emissions boxes.
• Cleaner feedstocks for industrial decarbonization across petrochemical plants.

Strategic and Financial Backdrop

Underpinning all of this is OMV’s Strategy 2030, the blueprint for hitting net zero by 2050. The big idea? Lean hard into green hydrogen, geothermal heat and next-gen biofuels to start cutting carbon immediately. Remember that 10 MW electrolyzer they kicked off in 2024? Backed by Kommunalkredit, it was the proof-of-concept plant that showed scaling up wasn’t just a pipe dream. That pilot not only ironed out kinks in the electrolysis process but even got other industries raising an eyebrow, making it a breeze to attract banks, the EU’s Innovation Fund and other backers.

OMV’s messaging team is quick to point out how private capital and public support make a dream team. By teaming up with the Climate and Energy Fund Austria and securing RFNBO certification, they’ve taken much of the risk off the table and tapped directly into EU climate incentives.

Lower Austria’s Industrial Evolution

Lower Austria, home to almost 1.9 million folks and one of the country’s industrial powerhouses, has been all about conventional fuels—especially with one of Europe’s busiest airports right next door. But now, the Schwechat site is gearing up to write a new chapter in sustainable energy. Local universities and research institutes are circling too, eager to get their hands on real-world data and spin off fresh innovations.

Here’s the upside for the region:

• Hundreds of new jobs in construction, operations and maintenance.
• A budding supply chain for electrolyzer parts and hydrogen storage gear.
• Stronger energy security, thanks to locally produced green hydrogen.

Implications for Europe’s Hydrogen Landscape

With a 140 MW plant under its belt, OMV is setting the bar for large-scale hydrogen production projects across Europe. It shows how legacy refineries can be retrofitted to churn out clean fuels, slashing around 150,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually—real, measurable progress toward Austria’s and the EU’s climate targets. Plus, it’s a handy blueprint for others to follow.

Still, it’s not all smooth sailing. Electrolysis can be thirsty work—water demand could squeeze local supplies if everyone jumps on board. And building out pipelines, storage tanks and blending stations calls for coordinated policy-making, grid upgrades and more investment.

Looking Ahead

As OMV eyes a 2027 start date, the next hurdles are clear: nail down final RFNBO certification audits, lock in renewable power purchase agreements, and seamlessly tie the hydrogen stream into the refinery’s workflows. Industry watchers will be glued to Schwechat, keen to see how reliably they can keep that green hydrogen flowing and whether the promised cost cuts actually materialize.

In the broader hydrogen and ammonia world, OMV’s Schwechat facility is more than just another plant—it’s a crystal ball showing how financing models, regulatory alignment and the nuts-and-bolts of integrating green hydrogen into existing industrial complexes can come together. If everything clicks, Schwechat could be Europe’s gold standard for fossil-fuel industrial decarbonization.

About the Company

OMV is an integrated energy group based in Austria, active across exploration, production, refining and marketing of oil, gas and chemicals. With roughly 25,000 employees in over 30 countries, they’ve got the scale to shake things up. Under their Strategy 2030, OMV is steering toward renewables, hydrogen and circular-economy solutions—with the endgame of net zero by 2050. The 140 MW Schwechat green hydrogen plant is their flagship showpiece in the clean fuels arena.