Central European Gas Hub AG (CEGH), an OMV subsidiary that operates the important Baumgarten natural gas node, begins trading and marketing “green gases” such as biogas and, later, green hydrogen. Central and Eastern Europe will be expanded gradually as well.
Green gases should contribute significantly to the decarbonization of the energy system, and existing gas infrastructure should be utilized for this purpose. Only 0.1 terawatt hours (TWh) of biomethane, i.e. processed biogas, are currently fed into the Austrian gas network. The CEGH estimates that it will be 5 TWh by 2030.
In order for green gas to contribute effectively to decarbonization, a functional trading center in Austria must be established. There is currently no trading or a suitable platform available. The CEGH GreenGas Platform, which will serve as a marketplace for supply and demand for biomethane, will be used to market green gas. Green hydrogen will be tradable on the platform as soon as it becomes available on the market. It is now possible to buy or sell biomethane guarantees of origin (HKNs) or biomethane with or without HKNs.
CEGH AG, which is owned by Wiener Börse AG (20%) and the Slovakian gas network operator Eustream (15%), is the largest gas trading center in Central and Eastern Europe, with a total trading volume of 749 TWh in 2021 – the 9th multiple of Austria’s annual gas consumption.
