Renewable

November 16 (Renewables Now) - Austrian energy company Energie Steiermark AG, known as E-Steiermark, will invest EUR 10 million (USD 11.44m) to build a plant for the production of green hydrogen in southern Austria, which is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2022.

Located in the municipality of Gabersdorf in the state of Styria, the plant is expected to produce about 300 tonnes of hydrogen from solar energy and biogas and save up to 5,200 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, E-Steiermark said last week.

The project involves the installation of solar panels on an area of 6,000 sq m (7,176 sq yd) which will be then combined with an existing biogas plant. Construction works are set to start in the spring of 2022.

The energy company has already signed an off-take agreement with local mining company Wolfram Bergbau & Huetten AG. The St. Martin-based company, which specialises in ferroalloy ores mining, will receive around 70 tonnes of green hydrogen per year, starting in October 2022, as it seeks to make its operations more sustainable.

In its generation business, E-Steiermark, owned by the state of Styria, focuses exclusively on renewable energy from hydro, solar, wind, and biomass.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.144)