Gampern, Upper Austria, July 2026
A significant milestone has been reached within the H2UPSTAGE project, part of HI2 Valley: RAG Austria AG and Andritz AG have held the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of the electrolysis plant at RAG Valley Gampern in Upper Austria. The plant’s capacity will be scaled from 2.5 MW to 15 MW, adding 12.5 MW of water electrolysis as the next expansion step at the site.
Once commissioning is completed at the end of 2026, the facility is planned to become Austria’s largest plant for the production of green hydrogen. It is designed to produce more than 1,500 tonnes (around 17 million m³) of green hydrogen per year, drawing on solar power as its primary renewable energy source.
The expansion brings together two Austrian industrial partners. Andritz AG will deliver the plant on an EPC basis (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) and assume full responsibility for project execution and commissioning. The scope of supply includes the complete green hydrogen production plant as well as hydrogen purification and compression systems. Several domestic energy providers, including EVN AG, Energie AG, KELAG, LINZ AG and Salzburg AG, have already reserved electrolysis capacity.
At RAG Valley Gampern, the full hydrogen value chain is demonstrated in practice. Solar power generated in summer is converted into green hydrogen through water electrolysis, stored in the underground “Underground Sun Storage”, and used for electricity and heat generation when renewable output is low, particularly during the winter months. All components of this system are designed to be scalable.
The project underlines the role of green hydrogen as a means of making renewable energy storable and available year-round, strengthening regional value creation and supporting security of supply in Austria.
HI2 Valley is co-funded by the European Union and the Clean Hydrogen Partnership.
Photo: Karin Lohberger Photography