MOL Group has handed over a 10-megawatt green hydrogen plant in Százhalombatta, the largest in Central and Eastern Europe.

The €22 million investment will make fuel production more sustainable: the plant will reduce the Danube Refinery's carbon dioxide emissions by 25,000 tonnes.

MOL noted that it will be able to produce 1,600 tonnes of clean, carbon-neutral green hydrogen per year, which opens a new chapter in the hydrogen economy.

"The investment is in line with the MOL Group's SHAPE TOMORROW corporate strategy to make the region more sustainable, competitive and self-sufficient," the group said. "MOL Group's goal is to provide the solutions for tomorrow: the green hydrogen plant in Százhalombatta, with a 10-megawatt electrolysis unit created by Plug Power, produces around 1,600 tonnes of clean, carbon-neutral green hydrogen per year."

It added that the new technology will gradually replace the natural gas-based production process, which currently accounts for one-sixth of the MOL Group's total carbon dioxide emissions.

MOL said the plant will start producing in the second half of 2024 and MOL will use the green hydrogen primarily in its own network for fuel production.

"MOL Group has reached another milestone: we can now produce green hydrogen without producing any greenhouse gases. Using this technology, we are able to achieve the same emissions reduction as if we took roughly 5,500 cars off the road overnight," said József Molnár, CEO of MOL Group, at the inauguration ceremony of the new green hydrogen plant.

"After Száhalombatta, we will take the technology to the other two fuel production units of the group to make the fuel production process more sustainable at each of MOL Group's refineries," he added.