OMV, the integrated, international oil, gas and chemicals company headquartered in Vienna signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Österreichische Post, Austria’s leading provider of transport and logistics services, for the use of green hydrogen in heavy goods transport. The joint goal is to promote commercial electromobility for heavy goods vehicles in Austria, powered by hydrogen fuel cells and to facilitate availability.
OMV is one of several partners to have committed to providing green hydrogen and the requisite infrastructure and recently made a final investment decision (FID) together with Kommunalkredit Austria for a 10 MW electrolysis unit at the site in Schwechat.
“Hydrogen is a key technology for CO2 reduction and for meeting climate targets – in industrial applications and on the road,” said Thomas Gangl, OMV Chief Downstream Operations Officer. “We see huge potential in goods transport and public transport in particular, as these are areas where electrification can be difficult or even impossible. With the recent FID for the 10 MW electrolysis plant at the Schwechat site, we have laid the cornerstone for hydrogen mobility. Now we are delighted to work with the Post to develop economically feasible solutions for hydrogen and reducing CO2.”
Post plans to introduce test vehicles and integrate them into its existing logistics fleet. Both companies intend to use this to gain experience in operating the hydrogen supply chain and fleet and they have pledged that the first application in Austria will be realised no later than 2023.
“With this partnership, we are taking an important first step towards introducing and proliferating electromobility with hydrogen fuel cells,” commented Peter Umundum, Member of the Management Board, Parcel & Logistics, Österreichische Post. “Green hydrogen will be used exclusively here. This will bring us much closer to our goal of seeing the first hydrogen-powered Post trucks in action imminently. Today we already have around 2,100 electric vehicles on the road every day, making us a trailblazer in tomorrow’s green logistics.”
This initiative will remain open to additional companies looking to cooperate in the field of hydrogen. Together, OMV and Post are laying the basis so that by 2030 a total of 2,000 fuel-cell-powered HGVs can be operated in Austria by various users.
Photo: Österreichische Post/Gregor Nesvadba
