OMV to coprocess renewable diesel at Schwechat refinery near Vienna

Photo: OMV

Multinational oil, gas and petrochemical company OMV based in Vienna, Austria, is investing 200 million euros at its Schwechat refinery southeast of Vienna to co-process up to 160,000 metric tons of vegetable oils—including used cooking oil and “advanced feedstocks”—into renewable diesel.

The investment in the Schwechat site will reduce the carbon intensity of the company’s product portfolio by at least 6 percent compared to 2010, according to OMV. The hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) is expected to reduce OMV’s carbon footprint by up to 360,000 metric tons of fossil CO2, equivalent to the annual emissions of around 200,000 cars driving an average of 12,000 kilometers per year.

“The conversion in the OMV Schwechat refinery makes a key contribution to more sustainable mobility and is another step in achieving our climate targets,” said Thomas Gangl, chief downstream operations officer for OMV. “At the same time, we are providing economic stimulus in Austria with this investment of almost 200 million euros.”

OMV has pledged to reach net-zero emissions in its operations by 2050. The company has established firm targets along the way. By 2025, at least 60 percent of OMV’s product portfolio is expected to consist of natural gas and carbon-free products.

OMV expects demand for its HVO to increase ten-fold by 2030. The company says it is one of the first companies in Europe to engage in coprocessing on an industrial scale. OMV operates three refineries in Europe and more than 2,000 fueling stations in 10 European countries.