OMV opens the first public hydrogen filling station in Austria

• Hydrogen is the emission-free fuel for the future
• Hydrogen and fuel cell technology are good prerequisites for a broad use and acceptance of emission-free vehicles in future
• OMV CEO Roiss: “With just four kilos of hydrogen a vehicle can drive for around 400 kilometers”

On 17 October 2012, OMV opened the first public hydrogen filling station in Austria. OMV has been researching the alternative drive concept for vehicles with hydrogen and fuel cells for several years. This latest development therefore signifies a further step towards sustainability and emission-free mobility.

OMV CEO Dr. Gerhard Roiss, comments on the project: “For over 50 years we have been filling our cars with liters. In the future, we will fill them with kilos. With only four kilos of hydrogen a car can drive for around 400 kilometers. The hydrogen era begins today. Thanks to OMV, this emission-free fuel of the future is available in Austria now, and is building a bridge to Europe’s climate targets.”

Dr. Reinhold Mitterlehner, Federal Minister for Economy and Energy, emphasizes the bene-fits of the technology for Austria: “Eco-innovations belong to the future. The increased use of hydrogen improves transport’s carbon footprint and at the same time supports the struc-tural change in the automotive sector. It is precisely the developments in components such as hydrogen tanks and fuel cells that offer enormous potential for value and employment creation in Austria. The OMV initiative is therefore an important impetus from an energy, innovation and economic policy perspective.”

“The promotion of hydrogen technology is an important step towards sustainability. This technology is also important for public mobility. The OMV project could also help further improve the air quality of our beautiful city and therefore improve quality of life,” says Prof. Harry Kopietz, president of the Vienna state parliament, in an acknowledgement of the posi-tive aspects this project will have for the city.

Fuel cell vehicle manufacturer Daimler is also convinced by the OMV vision: “The journey towards electro mobility is more like a marathon than a sprint as it will be completed in many small steps. Our fuel cell vehicles have already proven their readiness to go into series production, and we are now testing customer behavior such as here at OMV in Vienna,” says Prof. Dr. Herbert Kohler, director of group research at Daimler and environmental officer.

"We have already worked successfully with OMV in the past," said Georg Denoke, Member of the Executive Board at Linde AG. "As a pioneer in the field of hydrogen technology, we are particularly pleased that we were able to continue this long standing partnership for the development of the first hydrogen filling station in Austria. This is a further important step towards creating an extensive hydrogen infrastructure in Europe."

Hydrogen as a promising fuel for the future
Hydrogen vehicles operate without producing emissions, because only water vapor comes out of the exhaust. Traditional combustion does not take place in such vehicles; instead there is an exchange of electrons. In the process, hydrogen reacts with oxygen and a fuel cell converts the energy directly into electrical power. Hydrogen vehicles with fuel cells that have 4 kilos in their tanks have a range of more than 400 kilometers – an enormous advantage over battery-driven electric cars.

In its gas form hydrogen is colorless and odorless, very light, non-toxic and is of no risk to people or the environment. Even the exhaust only emits water vapor and warm air.

Background information:

OMV filling station on Shuttleworthstraße benefits from energy efficiency
In order to ensure maximum energy efficiency and the readiness of the elements for series production, all technologies and solutions are precisely synchronized with each other. The focus here was on a massive reduction in electricity consumption and the complete replacement of conventional heating systems.

• The filling station on Shuttleworthstraße has been provided with an integrated cooling, air conditioning and heating system with energy recovery. This technology enables the filling sta-tion to be operated without relying on any traditional heating energy.
• All lighting elements were mostly equipped with LED – a major contribution if you consider that the lighting is used for 24 hours, 365 days of the year.
• The car wash at the filling station has been equipped with solar energy panels that serve to provide hot water and heat the car wash both internally and externally.
• In addition, blinds have been installed to help reduce the amount of energy used for cooling.

Through the use of these latest technologies, the filling station could achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions by at least 30 tons a year. Compared with conventional filling stations, this would mean a reduction in energy costs of around 50%. As a result, the measures carried out make a considerable contribution towards sustainability. The prototype on Shuttleworthstraße provides OMV with an ideal test laboratory for further “green stations”. All measures tested there should – if they are efficient and economic – in future be adopted and implemented as standard for the construction of new filling sta-tions and the redevelopment of existing ones.

OMV Aktiengesellschaft
With Group sales of EUR 34.05 bn and a workforce of 29,800 employees in 2011, OMV Aktiengesell-schaft is one of Austria’s largest listed industrial companies. In Exploration and Production, OMV is active in two core countries Romania and Austria and holds a balanced international portfolio. OMV had proven oil and gas reserves of approximately 1.13 bn boe as of year-end 2011 and a production of around 288,000 boe/d in 2011. In Refining and Marketing, OMV has an annual refining capacity of 22.3 mn t and as of the end of 2011 approximately 4,500 filling stations in 13 countries including Turkey. In Gas and Power, OMV sold approximately 272 TWh of gas in 2011. In Austria, OMV operates a 2,000 km long gas pipeline network with a marketed capacity of around 101 bcm in 2011. With a trading volume of around 40 bcm in 2011, OMV’s gas trading platform, the Central European Gas Hub, is amongst the most important hubs in Continental Europe. OMV further strengthened its position through the ownership of a 97% stake in Petrol Ofisi, Turkey’s leading com-pany in the retail and commercial business.

Sustainability
OMV is a signatory to the UN Global Compact, and an active supporter to the values enshrined in its Code of Conduct. These include a strong sense of responsibility towards the social and natural envi-ronment, especially in economically weak regions. OMV continuously addresses economic, environ-mental and social issues related to its business in a responsible manner. The company reports on its activities in a sustainability report in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines.