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Wasserstoffstrategie für Österreich
The Austrian hydrogen strategy is defined by five key priorities: achievement of climate neutrality by 2040, use of climate-neutral hydrogen, focus on priority consumption sectors, energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness and development of hydrogen infrastructure. Hydrogen is seen as an important building block for decarbonisation, to secure the energy supply and to decarbonise sectors where direct electrification is not a viable option due to technical and economical limitations.
PRODUCTION
For hydrogen production, the strategy provides two key concepts:
- renewable hydrogen, which is water electrolysis with renewable electricity or processes based on biomass of sustainable origin;
- climate-neutral hydrogen, which is produced from methane via reformation with CCUS or pyrolisis. Two important conditions are in place for such hydrogen to be considered climate-neutral: no greenhouse gas emissions are to be released and no nuclear energy is to be used in the production processes.
To stimulate the production of renewable hydrogen the strategy foresees instruments such as investment subsidies for electrolysis systems, preferential treatment for network tariffs, green electricity subsidy allocations and change in connection costs, as well as a quota for the sale of renewable gases.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND STORAGE
On a system level, the strategy recognises the importance of PtX processes for sector-coupling. The importance of which stems for the target to achieve 100% renewable power supply nationally by 2030.
Specifically for gas infrastructure, the focus placed is on pure hydrogen infrastructure to supply industrial clusters and other large consumers. This is to be achieved through reconversion of existing natural gas pipelines. New hydrogen infrastructure is to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Hydrogen blending is not seen as a viable option, considering the scarcity of renewable hydrogen, although an increase of the current limit of 10% of hydrogen in the natural gas grid will be examined.
In relation to storage, short and medium capacity storage is to be done in appropriate containers, either in liquid or gaseous state. For long-term underground storage, further research and development, as well as improvements to the regulatory framework are needed.
END-USES
Mobility
In the various segments of road transport, an overlap of BEV and FCEV is expected. The application of hydrogen technologies in mobility is to occur in relation to long-ranges and high loads with short-refuelling times (e.g. buses, coaches, freight). Specifically for rail, the national goal for 2030 is to electrify 85% of the national rail network, with the remaining routes to be covered by battery-electric and hydrogen trains. Two sectors where hydrogen will play a key role for decarbonisation are aviation and water transport. As hydrogen or e-fuels are seen as the main feasible way to “electrify” these sectors.
Industry
The application of hydrogen to industry is to happen mainly in three sectors:
- in the chemical industry, where existing fossil-based hydrogen is to be replaced with green or climate neutral hydrogen (e.g. ammonia production), as well as some of the existing natural gas consumption, which can also be replaced by hydrogen (e.g. methanol production);
- in iron and steel production, climate neutral hydrogen can be used as reducing agent and energy carrier;
- in other industrial processes (e.g. cement, and glass industries) where temperature requirements, process management, and other requirements, make direct electrification not viable.
