PVTIME – OMV is pressing ahead with the development of its 140MW green hydrogen electrolyser facility in Lower Austria, which is set to become one of the country’s largest assets for industrial decarbonisation, according to project updates published on 22 October 2026.
Located in Bruck an der Leitha, the site will produce renewable hydrogen to replace the fossil-derived feedstock used by OMV’s Schwechat refinery. Powered by domestic wind, solar, and hydro resources, the plant is targeting an annual output of up to 23,000 tonnes of green hydrogen, which is projected to reduce the refinery’s direct carbon emissions by around 150,000 tonnes each year. The facility is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2027.
This large-scale electrolysis scheme is the largest green-hydrogen installation in Austria and is among the top five comparable projects in Europe. The output will travel via a dedicated 22-kilometre pipeline to the refinery, supporting the production of cleaner fuels and sustainable aviation fuel.
Industrial decarbonisation is the core driver of the investment. Hard-to-abate refinery processes cannot easily switch to direct electrification, making green hydrogen a practical, low-carbon alternative for OMV’s chemical and fuel production workflows. The development builds on the group’s smaller-scale 10MW green hydrogen demonstrator, which is already operating at the Schwechat refinery, and will create operational experience for scaling up electrolyser capacity.
Project delivery is being executed through a consortium partnership between OMV, Siemens Energy and STRABAG. European public financing has previously been secured to cover part of the capital expenditure, and the scheme remains aligned with national and EU hydrogen strategy objectives. Construction-phase milestones are currently being met, though final commercial performance remains subject to real-world operational conditions post-start-up.
