Editor’s Note
This article highlights a significant step in Austria’s energy transition, detailing plans for a major green hydrogen plant with substantial state-backed financial support. The project underscores the strategic shift towards sustainable industrial and energy systems.
Austria is advancing one of the most ambitious industrial projects of its energy transition. In the town of Bruck an der Leitha, Lower Austria, a green hydrogen plant is planned, promising to modify the country’s energy and industrial profile. The initiative has decisive financial backing from the state bank Austria Wirtschaftsservice, which will provide guarantees of up to EUR 123 million to facilitate its development. The project also received a favorable evaluation from the European Hydrogen Bank, a step that was decisive in consolidating its financing scheme.
The plant, with a planned capacity of 140 megawatts, aims to become one of the largest in Europe once operational, scheduled for the end of 2027. The project not only seeks to produce green hydrogen on a large scale but also to integrate it directly into existing industry, particularly the Schwechat refinery complex, one of the country’s most relevant energy hubs.
Facilities designed to produce hydrogen on a large scale from renewable sources.
The future plant in Bruck an der Leitha is designed to produce up to 23,000 tons of green hydrogen annually, using exclusively renewable energy from wind, solar, and hydroelectric sources. This volume would avoid the emission of up to 150,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year compared to processes based on fossil fuels.
The hydrogen will be transported via a 22-kilometer pipeline that will directly connect the plant to the Schwechat refinery, operated by OMV.
The Austrian energy company highlighted that green hydrogen will allow the replacement of fossil inputs in complex industrial processes, particularly in the production of fuels and chemicals. The goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of activities that, by their nature, are difficult to electrify directly.
The size of the plant also responds to a logic of scale. In the European hydrogen market, large-capacity projects are essential to lower costs and guarantee a stable supply.
The project aims to supply green hydrogen to high-energy-demand industrial sectors.
The backing from the state bank Austria Wirtschaftsservice is central to the project’s progress. The guarantees of up to EUR 123 million aim to reduce financial risk and facilitate access to credit under more favorable conditions. This type of instrument is used to accelerate investments considered strategic for the country’s economy and energy policy.
The project also received a positive recommendation from the European Hydrogen Bank, an entity created to promote the development of this energy vector within the European Union.
On the business front, the plant will be developed through a joint venture between OMV and Masdar, one of the leading international groups specialized in renewable energy. Both companies signed a preliminary agreement in November 2025 to advance the creation of the company responsible for financing, constructing, and operating the complex.
The formal establishment of the joint venture is expected in early 2026, subject to shareholder approval, completion of legal documentation, and authorization from regulatory bodies.
Masdar brings to the project its track record in developing renewable infrastructure across different continents, while OMV adds its integration into the Austrian energy system and its capacity to integrate hydrogen into existing industrial processes. This complementarity was one of the factors most highly valued by financial authorities.
Beyond the energy aspect, the Bruck an der Leitha plant will have a relevant economic impact on the region. During the construction phase, the generation of hundreds of direct and indirect jobs is expected. In the operational phase, the complex will require specialized personnel in engineering, maintenance, and energy management.
The project also reinforces the role of Lower Austria as an industrial hub linked to the energy transition.
From an environmental point of view, the initiative aligns with national and European climate goals. Austria seeks to substantially reduce its emissions in energy-intensive industrial sectors, where the margin for action is limited. Green hydrogen appears as one of the few viable alternatives to advance on this front.