Austria is one of the 27 member states of the European Union. Their gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is around $70,820. The economy is characterized as a free market economy with a strong social focus.
Austria is committed to international climate targets as well as proactive climate protection and energy policy. Key industrial sectors include food and drinks, mechanical and steel engineering, chemical and automotive, electrics and electronics as well as wood, pulp and paper.
Austria is strategically positioning hydrogen as a pivotal element in its energy transition, aiming for climate-neutral hydrogen production to decarbonize energy-intensive industries. The focus is on power-to-gas technology, utilizing surplus wind and solar power for hydrogen production and so-called sector coupling. Austria's hydrogen strategy outlines plans to build 1 GW of electrolysis capacity by 2030 (13,2 MW installed as of May 2023), replace fossil fuel-based hydrogen, and establish collaborative platforms like Hydrogen Partnership Austria (HyPA) and WIVA P&G for industry stakeholders and regional hydrogen initiatives. Austria currently uses some 132,000 tonnes of hydrogen per annum. Most of the current consumption - which is mainly used for fertilizer production and refining - is based on natural gas, so-called "grey hydrogen". In addition to developing new areas of application, these quantities need to be replaced by "green hydrogen" (i.e. hydrogen produced through electrolysis of renewable energies) as a matter of priority within the next few years.