Premiere in Lower Austria

Hydrogen storage makes solar power “durable”

Surplus solar power is "preserved" in the hydrogen storage unit for use at night.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

The state of Lower Austria has put its first hydrogen storage facility into operation at the NV Arena in St. Pölten. It stores surplus solar power that is produced in a covered parking lot.

Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner described the hydrogen storage system from local start-up HydroSolid, which has now been officially put into operation in a container in front of the NV Arena in St. Pölten, as a "sensational project that will conquer the world". The surplus energy from the PV systems that went into operation just a few months ago is stored in this container in the specially covered parking spaces to make it available at night.

In the presence of many guests, the first state hydrogen plant was opened in the container (in the background). It will store the solar power produced in the nearby parking lots and feed it into the grid at night.

(Bild: Patrick Salfinger)

With the first provincial hydrogen plant, Lower Austria aims to take a significant step towards sustainable energy storage. "Hydrogen is a central component of our strategy to make Lower Austria one of the leading green economic regions in Europe," emphasizes Mikl-Leitner.

Green hydrogen is the key to solving the challenges of the energy transition. We are proud to be able to make a contribution to this.

HydroSolid-Gründer Lukas Renz

"Our pilot plant is the first low-pressure hydrogen plant that operates at a maximum of 35 bar," explains HydroSolid founder Lukas Renz. Other storage facilities work at high pressure, which is much more complicated and expensive to operate. When fully expanded, up to 135 kWh of electrical energy can be stored at this location.

The energy is stored in this container.

(Bild: Patrick Salfinger)

"It is designed so that the area lighting of the Lower Austria sports center can be operated sustainably," said Renz, who also welcomed the Japanese ambassador Riku Komatsu at the opening. He emphasized the mutual learning opportunities between Austria and his home country in the field of hydrogen technology. "We can benefit from each other," said Komatsu.