Austria is to become climate-neutral by 2040. In order to achieve this challenging goal, renewable energy sources must be massively expanded and, in coordination with this, the transport networks must be made fit for the future. Power generation is thus becoming increasingly green, but also more weather-dependent and volatile. It is therefore essential to take a holistic view of the energy systems and to proactively couple the electricity and gas grids. The Transmission System Operators Gas Connect Austria (GCA) and Austrian Power Grid (APG) are therefore working together on a pilot project for a power-to-gas (P2G) plant to convert renewable surplus electricity into hydrogen. The hydrogen is then to be filled directly on site or fed into the existing GCA gas grid. The profound expertise of both grid operators can thus be used specifically for the energy transition. The goal is to make every kWh usable that can be generated green. Since there is not yet an established hydrogen market in Austria, the project is planned as a so-called sandbox project, whereby the market readiness of P2G in the regulated sector can be tested under real conditions in a test environment.

Austria’s largest demonstration plant for sector coupling
With a planned capacity of 50 megawatts, the plant is intended to support the ramp-up of power-to-gas technology via the regulated energy sector. The plant is intended to convert surplus renewable energy, which cannot be transported via the electricity grid and would therefore be unused, into gaseous energy in the form of hydrogen by means of electrolysis. The hydrogen can either be used immediately, e.g. for the steel industry, chemical industry, power plants or for refuelling trucks and buses, or stored for later use. An H2 pipeline will connect the production and feed-in sites.

Green H2 to decarbonise the energy system
The jointly with APG planned power-to-gas plant would be the largest sector coupling demonstration in Austria. The concept, which is based on a whole-system approach, is flexibly scalable and can be rolled out to the whole of Austria. It includes the construction and operation of P2G plants as integrators of the electricity and gas infrastructure, whereby the grid operators make the plants available to all market participants on a non-discriminatory basis and, in accordance with unbundling rules, do not own the energy generated. The concept could serve as a template for further sector coupling plants and make an important contribution to a CO2 neutral holistically functioning energy system of the future.

This project shows that the existing gas infrastructure can continue to be used for the transport of green gases in a cost-saving way for Austria. Gas Connect Austria is using its decades of expertise in handling high-pressure gases to the advantage of climate neutrality. Already today, up to 4% hydrogen (equivalent to 6 TWh of energy) could be transported in the existing GCA network. This is an enormous amount that cannot yet be produced in Austria by 2030. The cooperation with the Transmission System Operator APG guarantees the best possible use of the existing transport infrastructure and thus ensures the holistic further development of the energy system.