Styria’s largest industrial green hydrogen production plant is to be built by Energie Steiermark in Bergla, western Styria, from this autumn and is due to be completed by 2027. The 25-million-euro project is the result of a strategic partnership between the regional energy company and Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten AG, a world-leading supplier of high-quality tungsten powders and part of the Sandvik Group. Wolfram will act as the first pilot customer for this green hydrogen hub, and plans are in place to expand the facility.
The electrolysis plant has a capacity of 5 megawatts (MW) and will produce up to 750 tonnes of green hydrogen annually. This will result in CO₂ savings of up to 8,500 tonnes per year. The project will receive funding of up to 28.5 million euros from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism over the next 10 years.
For Wolfram, the long-term supply of green hydrogen is a key lever for reducing emissions in its core production processes and represents a crucial step towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Most of the green electricity required for production comes from Energie Steiermark’s newly constructed wind farms in the district of Deutschlandsberg.
A pipeline approximately one kilometre long will connect the hydrogen production site in Bergla directly to the industrial area around St Martin. Plans are in place to integrate the plant into the pipelines of the European hydrogen networks at a later date.
“By supporting the H2 Hub Bergla, we are sending a clear signal in terms of industrial and climate policy: Austria is set to become a leading location for the production and use of green hydrogen. Investing in this key technology today secures jobs, value creation and competitiveness for tomorrow. The H2 Hub Bergla is a prime example of how government initiatives and entrepreneurial pioneering spirit can work together successfully,” said Energy Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer.
“The H2 Hub Bergla demonstrates how an open approach to technology can work in practice. This project proves that climate protection and economic sensibility need not be at odds with one another. Green hydrogen opens up new opportunities for our industry, strengthens regional value creation and secures jobs in Styria as a business location. Through such investments, we combine innovation, competitiveness and sustainability. This is precisely the path we must take if we want to strengthen our industrial base and secure high-quality jobs in the long term,” said Deputy Governor Manuela Khom.
“With the pilot plant in Gabersdorf and the establishment of its own hydrogen company last year, Energie Steiermark has taken the first important steps towards addressing this issue,” emphasise Energie Steiermark’s board members Martin Graf and Werner Ressi, “with the H2 Hub, we are now implementing a concrete cooperation project with a major industrial company and intend to use the experience gained as a basis for further partnerships in the field of hydrogen”.
David Goulbourne (Chairman of the Board at Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten AG) and board member Andreas Raffelsberger emphasise the project’s significance for Styria’s appeal as a business location: “Securing green hydrogen for our plant in St. Martin is a milestone for WOLFRAM. This partnership supports our net-zero ambition, strengthens our long-term security of supply and embeds sustainable production directly into our core processes.”