FEST GmbH produces climate-neutral H2 for the Austrian capital's transport infrastructure, electricity and heat supply
With its own green hydrogen production, Wiener Wasserstoff GmbH, a subsidiary of Wiener Stadtwerke and Wien Energie, is taking an important step towards achieving climate neutrality. FEST GmbH from Goslar is creating the fundamental basis for this with its compact and rapidly deployable 3MW electrolysis plant.
Climate neutrality by 2040 – the City of Vienna has set itself this ambitious goal. In order to make the urban space emission-free, FEST GmbH is building a “Green Electrolyzer” at the Simmering site on behalf of Wiener Wasserstoff GmbH for Wiener Stadtwerke, Wien Energie and Wiener Netze. This container-based and therefore space-saving electrolysis plant can produce around 1,300 kg of hydrogen per day. The H2 is used in the mobility sector with a hydrogen filling station operated by sister company Maximator Hydrogen for refueling primarily buses and trucks. Wien Energie also uses the green hydrogen in its own power plant fleet and makes it available to industrial partners. “We are delighted to support Wiener Wasserstoff GmbH with our technological expertise and solutions in this and future projects. With our many years of experience, our goal is to be the European market leader for decentralized hydrogen solutions – from production to use,” explains Matthias Authenrieth, CEO of FEST GmbH. “We underpin this claim with the implementation of such projects.”
High efficiency thanks to PEM electrolysis
The Green Electrolyzer from FEST GmbH uses the principle of water electrolysis to produce hydrogen, in which water is broken down into its components (hydrogen and oxygen) using electrical energy. If this electrical energy comes from renewable sources, the hydrogen is referred to as “green hydrogen“. The company uses highly efficient PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolysis technology to convert the electrical energy into the required chemical energy. This uses a proton exchange membrane that is surrounded by water. If an electrical voltage is applied to this membrane, a constant circulation of protons takes place within the membrane, while the electrons are in an outer circle. Hydrogen is produced at the cathode by reduction and oxygen at the anode by oxidation. By converting electrical energy directly into chemical energy, a high overall efficiency of up to 70 percent is achieved.
Compact hydrogen production with a high degree of prefabrication
Hydrogen production in the “Green Electrolyzer” takes place in individual cells that are stacked and electrically connected in series (“stack”). The three stacks in Simmering form the heart of the FEST GmbH plant alongside the ultrapure water treatment and gas processing. With the exception of the recooler and the refrigeration system, all the components and parts of the “Green Electrolyzer” required for the process are installed in two 40-foot containers to save space, so that a very high degree of prefabrication is achieved and the assembly time on site is reduced to a minimum.
Vienna's infrastructure pulls together
Wiener Infrastrukturbetriebe and the parent company Wiener Stadtwerke Group are pulling together to implement a climate-neutral infrastructure. The threads relating to the generation (Wien Energie), transport and distribution structure (Wiener Netze) and use (Wiener Linien) of hydrogen as a drive and energy source are being pulled together at Wiener Wasserstoff GmbH. Project manager Michael Schwind comments on the project: “After the first hydrogen filling station in Leopoldau in 2021, the construction of the electrolysis station is another important building block for a climate-neutral Vienna. My colleagues and I are certain that the plant will reliably produce hydrogen in the future.”
Hydrogen expertise along the entire value chain
In addition to FEST GmbH, another Schmidt Kranz Group company is also involved in the project in Vienna. As a sister company, Maximator Hydrogen is supplying the hydrogen filling station for refueling primarily trucks and buses. “The advantages of the Schmidt Kranz Group’s approach of offering hydrogen infrastructures from a single source are impressively demonstrated by this project: fast and seamless implementation with components that are perfectly coordinated,” says Matthias Authenrieth, confirming the joint work.
