Austria: Energie Steiermark converts an existing gas pipeline to 100% hydrogen for the first time, in Gabersdorf

Regional utility Energie Steiermark on Friday, 6 November, commissioned in Gabersdorf (Leibnitz district) a section of natural gas pipeline converted to carry 100% hydrogen. According to ORF Steiermark and the APA news agency, it is the first time in Austria that an existing natural gas pipeline has been fully switched to hydrogen and approved under the gas act (Gaswirtschaftsgesetz). The company calls it “a milestone for the energy transition”.

What was done. The conversion is part of the €2.3 million HyGrid2 research project, according to APA. The project, coordinated by grid operator Energienetze Steiermark with partners including HyCentA Research, Montanuniversität Leoben and the ÖVGW association, tests whether existing gas infrastructure can carry hydrogen: material suitability, hydrogen quality in pipes previously used for odorised gas, purification methods and the legal approval procedure.

The first customer. The company PUREA in Gabersdorf has adapted its gas installations and now runs on a 10% hydrogen blend; technical preparations for a 20% share are complete, ORF reported. Energie Steiermark board member Martin Graf said using existing pipelines saves a lot of money and speeds up the exit from fossil gas: “Many gas pipelines are technically adaptable, which of course takes the odd investment.”

What comes next. Styria plans a hydrogen network of more than 200 kilometres in the coming years, mainly for energy-intensive industry in the Mur and Mürz valleys. A new hydrogen-ready pipeline is currently being built between Bruck an der Mur and St. Michael/Traboch and is to become part of the province's future hydrogen core network. In Bergla, in the Deutschlandsberg district, a €25 million electrolysis plant is being built with Sandvik, and Styria is targeting 20 MW of electrolysis capacity by 2030, according to APA.

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