Simmering hosted the groundbreaking ceremony for Vienna’s first hydrogen production facility. This is a significant step in the right direction for protecting the environment. By 2025, ten hydrogen buses will also be operating in Vienna.
On the Wiener Netze campus in Simmering, construction on a so-called electrolysis plant has just begun. This will start producing hydrogen in the summer of 2023, which will be utilized, for instance, in the buses operated by Wiener Linien.
“In Vienna, electrolysis is being employed for the first time to produce green hydrogen. Together, Wien Energie, Wiener Netze, and Wiener Linien are making significant progress toward decarbonization. I believe Austria can significantly advance its efforts to achieve climate neutrality by 2040 “Peter Hanke, a city councilor for economic affairs, says.
As a location and energy hub, Simmering is important since it is home to Austria’s biggest power plant: “Buses may be refueled at the Wiener Netze facility in Simmering, and hydrogen can be used as a green gas network component there as well. In doing so, we will contribute to future gas supplies being more climate-friendly “explains Wiener Netze’s managing director, Gerhard Fida.
An upcoming hydrogen filling station
Up to 1,300 kg of hydrogen may be produced every day, which is enough to refuel 60 buses and trucks. In Simmering, a second hydrogen filling station for buses and vehicles is being constructed in addition to the H 2 producing facility. In the future, green hydrogen at 350 or 700 bar will be able to refuel there for transportation and logistics firms. The hydrogen can then be obtained by industrial partners as well as mobility. For this aim, a separate space will be built up for pickups with trailers. In the future, Simmering will also supply the H 2 filling station on the grounds of the Wiener Linien bus garage in Leopoldau.
At Wiener Linien, buses are already powered by climate-neutral hydrogen. After several months of testing, the first H 2 bus is already regularly transporting passengers on route 39A. The transportation corporation recently said that by 2025, all of Route 39A’s driving will be emission-free. After that, ten hydrogen buses will run between Heiligenstadt and Sievering.
Alternative for buses using diesel
“In Austria, the transportation industry still contributes far too many emissions. These fuels must be completely replaced by CO2-neutral substitutes. There are two choices here: hydrogen and electromobility “Gudrunk Senk, the managing director of Wiener Linien, explains. But how does hydrogen mobility differ from electromobility in terms of benefits? “The technology that accomplishes the most technically is hydrogen. We’ve been looking at using hydrogen in buses for a while, and it turns out that it provides a full substitute for diesel buses “Senk says.
By blending green hydrogen with natural gas in the Donaustadt power plant as part of an operational test in 2023, Wien Energie will demonstrate that green hydrogen can be used in industries other than transportation. It is the first endeavor of its sort ever made. A just 15% hydrogen admixture may prevent the emissions of 33,000 tons of CO2 annually. The company’s brand-new H2 production facility in the eleventh will be employed in this process as well.
Hanke also highlights the system’s many benefits for the Vienna economy: “Future added value produced here in Vienna will allow for the creation of new jobs in emerging technologies. This boosts Vienna’s appeal as an industrial location for businesses and is crucial in the global marketplace.”
