The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted €450 million in financing to OMV to build a large-scale green hydrogen plant in Bruck an der Leitha, Lower Austria.
The loan will cover nearly three-quarters of the total planned investment, estimated at €600 million. This is the largest operation carried out by the EIB in Austria’s energy sector to date.
The facility is already under construction and is scheduled to enter service by the end of 2027. The project aims to replace part of the fossil-based hydrogen used in OMV’s industrial processes and reduce emissions associated with refining.
A 140 MW electrolyzer for the new green hydrogen plant
The new plant will feature a 140 MW electrolyzer powered by renewable electricity. Once it reaches its operational capacity, it will be able to produce up to 23,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen each year.
With this volume, the facility will be the largest plant of its kind in Austria and will rank among the five largest in Europe.
Production through electrolysis will allow hydrogen to be obtained without resorting to natural gas reforming, a process commonly used by the industry and associated with direct carbon dioxide emissions.
Furthermore, the project will expand European capacity to develop electrolysis equipment and strengthen a supply chain considered strategic for the energy transition.
Hydrogen will supply the Schwechat refinery
The green hydrogen produced in Bruck an der Leitha will be transported via a 22-kilometer pipeline to OMV’s refinery in Schwechat.
There, it will gradually replace the fossil hydrogen used in refining operations. OMV estimates that this change will reduce direct CO₂ emissions by up to 150,000 tonnes per year.
The decrease represents around 10% of the refinery’s current direct emissions. Additionally, the infrastructure will be able to support the future manufacturing of sustainable aviation fuels and other industrial products with lower carbon intensity.
In this way, the project connects renewable energy production with one of the most complex sectors to decarbonize: the refining industry.
The EIB strengthens its financing of clean technologies
For the European Investment Bank, the operation is part of its strategy to finance infrastructure capable of accelerating the industrial deployment of renewable hydrogen.
Karl Nehammer, Vice-President of the EIB, noted that green hydrogen is an essential piece for moving towards a competitive, climate-neutral, and secure European energy system.
According to the bank, the financing also contributes to the objectives of the European Green Deal and REPowerEU. Furthermore, it aligns with the TechEU initiative by boosting technological capacity linked to electrolysis.
The EIB Group acts as the financial arm of the European Union and belongs to its 27 Member States. During 2025, it signed €100 billion in financing and advisory services for more than 870 projects.
On the other hand, OMV considers that the loan supports its transformation into an integrated energy, fuels, and chemicals company with lower emissions.
Reinhard Florey, CFO and Vice-President of the OMV Executive Board, highlighted that the plant will strengthen the European energy chain and improve security of supply.
The company generated revenues of €24 billion in 2025 and employed approximately 22,300 people in various countries. Its strategy contemplates reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 at the latest.
Source and photo: EIB
