Austrian energy companies Verbund and Burgenland Energie have unveiled plans to develop a green hydrogen project in Burgenland, Austria.
When fully expanded, 40,000 tonnes of green hydrogen will be produced at the site annually, supplied by 300MW of wind and solar generated electricity, Burgenland Energie said.
Verbund and Burgenland Energie announced the project in a joint press conference with Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler, Governor Hans Peter Doskozil, Verbund CEO Michael Strugl and Burgendland Energie CEO Stephan Sharma.
In 2019 Verbund, together with Voestalpine and Siemens, put Austria’s first PEM electrolyser into operation.
Strugl said: “Europe is facing a turning point in the energy industry. Renewable energies are our only chance for decarbonization and independence from fossil imports – but we also need green hydrogen as a game changer.”
Sharma added: “Hydrogen is a crucial energy carrier of the future.
“Today we are in the greatest energy transformation since the invention of the steam engine.
“In a very short time, we will switch heating and mobility from fossil fuels to electricity. And that’s good and right.”
The electrolyser facility will be built in several stages.
From 2026 it will produce 9000 tons of green hydrogen from Burgenland wind and solar energy annually expanding to 40,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030.
Sharma added: “Together with Verbund as a partner and with the support of the federal and state governments, we are creating a project in Burgenland that sets a European milestone on the way to the energy transition in this dimension.”