Hydrogen

We are working to advance and optimize the entire energy value chain with sustainable clean hydrogen. OMV is currently developing a first-of-its-kind green hydrogen production system based on a 10 MW electrolysis project at the Schwechat refinery as part of its UpHy project. The electrolysis will be powered by renewable electricity, producing green, zero-carbon hydrogen. The initial plan is to use the green hydrogen in the refinery in Schwechat for the hydration of vegetable oil and fossil fuels, thereby reducing the CO₂ emitted by up to 15 kt per year. The second step will be to use the green hydrogen for decarbonizing hard-to-electrify transportation segments like buses and trucks. (For more information on UpHy, see Hydrogen Mobility.)

The activities are part of the H2Accelerate project, where OMV is developing the heavy-duty infrastructure network around the TEN-T corridors in Europe. H2Accelerate is a joint approach together with four European partners under the framework of the newly launched Hydrogen IPCEI call (Important Project of Common European Interest).

In conventional hydrocarbon-based hydrogen production, we are looking into ways to prevent CO₂ produced in the steam-reforming process from being expelled as emissions. Instead, we aim to capture it and use it as a feedstock for producing methanol. This is then further turned into renewable-based chemicals and fuels.

Another highly promising alternative is splitting natural gas into hydrogen and pure solid carbon with the pyrolysis method. This process does not emit any CO₂ and even uses less energy compared to electrolysis with water.