EIB loans €450M to OMV for green hydrogen plant

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a €450 million loan to OMV to support the construction of a 140 MW green hydrogen production plant in Bruck an der Leitha, Lower Austria. The total investment cost is estimated at €600 million. The plant, which is already under construction and expected to start operations by the end of 2027, will produce up to 23,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually, making it the largest facility of its kind in Austria and among the five largest in Europe. The green hydrogen will be transported via a 22-kilometre pipeline to OMV's Schwechat refinery, where it will replace fossil-based hydrogen, reducing direct CO₂ emissions by up to 150,000 tonnes per year (about 10% of the refinery's current direct emissions). The loan is the EIB's largest-ever investment in Austria's energy sector and covers nearly three-quarters of the project cost. OMV had previously received up to €123 million in production funding from Austria — Austria Wirtschaftsservice Gesellschaft (aws) for the same project. The project supports OMV's Strategy 2030 to expand renewable fuels and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and aligns with EU climate goals under the European Green Deal and REPowerEU.