HyCentA Celebrates Milestone with OMV: Austria’s Largest Green Hydrogen Electrolyzer Goes Live
The 10 MW PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolyzer, now fully operational, marks OMV’s first commercial-scale green hydrogen installation. Powered entirely by renewable energy sources – including wind, hydro, and solar – the system will produce up to 1,500 tonnes of green hydrogen annually. This production capacity translates into CO₂ savings of up to 15,000 tonnes per year, directly supporting the generation of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (HVO) at the Schwechat refinery.
Key Project Features:
- Integrated refinery operations: Fully embedded in OMV’s Schwechat facility, ensuring seamless industrial application
- Advanced PEM electrolysis: Utilizing cutting-edge, renewably powered electrolysis technology
- Certified for sustainability: ISCC-compliant and meeting all EU Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) standards
- Highest safety compliance: Designed to exceed stringent European safety and operational benchmarks
HyCentA’s Role: Research as a Catalyst for Hydrogen Infrastructure
As a research and development partner in UpHy I & II HyCentA contributed with essential innovations to ensure the hydrogen roll out:
- Boltzmann Gas- and Material Lab: Austria’s most advanced hydrogen gas quality lab, developed by HyCentA to ensureISO 14687 Grade Dcompliance across the entire hydrogen value chain.
- Certified hydrogen mass measurement: Development and deployment of the country’s first officially certified hydrogen mass flow metering system according to SAE J2601, enabling precise and verifiable refueling at hydrogen stations.
- PEM electrolysis safety integration: Critical contributions to the safety concept and operational protocols, ensuring secure PEM operation within the complex refinery environment, paving the way for industrial scaling.
- Recognized excellence: Recipient of the Austrian State Prize for Mobility, underscoring HyCentA’s impact on clean energy and sustainable transportation.
A key enabler of Austria’s hydrogen infrastructure development has been the establishment of robust, standardized measurement and certification processes. HyCentA has developed the metrology and certification processes essential for the reliable rollout and scaling of hydrogen technologies.
From Pilot Success to Industrial Scale
This achievement is just the beginning. Building on lessons learned from UpHy I & II, OMV is now preparing the next major phase: a 140 MW electrolyzer facility in Bruck an der Leitha, Lower Austria. Once operational, it is expected to produce approximately 23,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year and reduce CO₂ emissions by 150,000 tonnes annually – positioning it among the largest green hydrogen projects in Europe.
A Blueprint for Europe's Hydrogen Future
Despite regulatory and technical challenges, the UpHy projects demonstrated how close collaboration between industry and research can deliver scalable, real-world solutions for Europe’s hydrogen economy. With its deep expertise and forward-looking research, HyCentA remains dedicated toshaping a sustainable hydrogen society – from research to full-scale industrial deployment.
These results were achieved under the “Upscaling of Green Hydrogen for Mobility and Industry (UpHy)” initiative, funded by the Climate and Energy Fund and the FFG Energy Model Region program WIVA P&G.
Project Partners:
- OMV Downstream GmbH
- HyCentA Research GmbH
- V&F Analyse- und Messtechnik GmbH
- WIVA P&G
- Energieinstitut an der JKU Linz
- Chair of Energy Network Technology, Montanuniversität Leoben
Fotos by OMV and HyCentA
Further information: