A 10 MW electrolyzer project, capable of producing 1,500 tons of green hydrogen each year, shows OMV is committed to turning its sustainable vision into action, writes Thomas Uitz.
Green hydrogen will have a critical role to play in the energy system of the future. In the short term, it will enable us to produce more sustainable fuels to power our transport networks. It will even become a valuable tool to stabilize our electricity grids by storing renewable energy in the form of green hydrogen.
I’ve worked on hydrogen projects at OMV for over a decade and I’ve witnessed first-hand the intense innovation that has gone into producing it more sustainably.
Thomas Uitz
Now I’m proud to see all of that development come to fruition with the launch of our UpHy electrolyzer plant in our refinery in Schwechat. With a 10 MW capacity, it is the largest operational green hydrogen electrolysis plant in Austria.
While larger projects have since been announced, many remain in the planning phase; getting plants up and running is the critical but challenging next step. So the launch of this lighthouse facility represents a significant leap forward on our journey toward industrial-scale green hydrogen production.
Leaping into the future with green hydrogen at scale
Humans have been producing hydrogen for decades but today this abundant element is needed in a range of sectors for example by the steel industry. Here at OMV, we use it to produce chemicals and fuels at our refineries. This has historically relied on ‘grey’ hydrogen produced using natural gas.
To enable the transformation of our company, we need to produce sustainable ‘green’ hydrogen on an industrial scale. There are several methods to do that, but our UpHy lighthouse project uses a state-of-the-art Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysis process.
The electrolyzer is powered by 100% renewable power acquired via power purchase agreements, such as from a newly installed wind turbine by WEB Windenergie AG. That means it can produce hydrogen with almost zero carbon emissions.
Overcoming obstacles for clean energy firsts - A certified achievement
We made the decision to invest in the UpHy project as early as 2021, despite the lack of legal certainty and clear certification rules. Like any pioneering project, it was a bold step with many unknowns and obstacles to overcome along the way.
Building the unit on-site at our refinery enables us to feed the hydrogen we produce directly into our operations rather than transporting it. This required modifying the PEM units to meet OMV’s necessarily strict safety standards, which go far beyond EU safety regulations.
Certification was another critical part of the process. Our 10 MW electrolyzer aims to meet the highest standards for producing green hydrogen, as defined in the EU’s strict regulations for "Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO)". These regulations guarantee the process is being powered by renewable electricity. Greenhouse gas (GHG) savings must be calculated for each hour and the complete monitoring system must be verified by an independent organization before it can be officially considered a green hydrogen facility. We’re proud that we are the first in Austria and one of the first projects in Europe to have been awarded RFNBO certification according to the ISCC certification system.
OMV’s first own green hydrogen production on commercial scale
In April, the electrolyzer came online while many other green hydrogen projects remain in the planning phase or under construction. We can point to a fully operational plant that’s already delivering results.
The challenges we faced to reach this point were more complex because we had virtually no precedent to follow in navigating regulations, permits or integrating the new technology. Now, as we plan to build a much larger facility, we can put all of this newfound knowledge into practice to ensure it runs as smoothly as possible.
In many ways, this project is emblematic of the wider transformation we’re undertaking at OMV. We’re expanding into new fields and pioneering new technologies, often doing things we’ve never done before. The lessons we learn along the way are invaluable as we scale up these exciting sustainable innovations and expand our low-carbon business.
Green hydrogen will be critical in the sustainable transition of our company, our industry and beyond. Getting this lighthouse project up and running sends a powerful message that we’re committed to this process, not just in theory, but in practice.