The funding will be distributed by the state-owned development bank, AWS, and is part of a wider national planto invest €820m ($951m) between 2024 and 2026 in the hydrogen industry.

The four selected projects are considered the first stage of Austria’s broader hydrogen rollout. Specifically, funding will support large-scale electrolysis, infrastructure, and system integration – areas identified in Austria’s Hydrogen Promotion Act.

Reports suggest OMV’s EU-backed 140MW green hydrogen plant in Bruck an der Leitha, scheduled to begin operations in 2027, is one of the four initiatives selected by the Federal Ministry of Economy.

The project has reached a final investment decision (FID), but OMV said in May it remained conditional on subsidies.

Austrian Economics Affairs Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer called the award a “clear commitment to industry, innovation and supply security.”

He said, “Hydrogen is not a niche issue, but a key industrial policy priority.

“While the EU divides almost €1bn into 15 projects in five member states, Austria alone is investing €275m in four national projects – this is emphatically a local policy. We show that we are leading the way in Europe and actively shaping the industrial ramp-up.”

To support long-term security, the country is also preparing a national hydrogen import strategy.

New regulations will include a €20m ($23m) electrolyser investment subsidy scheme; a Hydrogen Certification Regulation aligned with EU rules; and a new gas Industry Act to establish a hydrogen grid and connect to the European network by mid-2026.

“Our goal is clear: Austria should become Europe’s hydrogen hub. This sustainably strengthens our industry, our research location and our role in Europe,” Hattmannsdorfer added.