Sustainability Report 2019/2020

We are delighted to present RAG Austria AG's second Sustainability Report.

European and Austrian climate and energy policies are geared towards combating global warming, a target that is also integral to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the European Commission’s Green Deal. Playing an active part in shaping efforts to achieve this goal is not only a major aspect of our social responsibility activities and our obligations towards future generations; it is also central to our philosophy. RAG’s main strength lies in its capacity to innovate and to act in a way that is both responsible and far-sighted. Everything we do reflects our long-term perspective – coupled with investments intended to last for generations to come – and is anchored in our strategy for the period to 2040.

The past two years have been characterised by our intensive efforts to address the challenges associated with the future of energy, against the backdrop of the climate crisis. We are driving forward initiatives designed to bring the energy sector and related technologies closer to becoming carbon neutral, as well as ensuring affordable energy supplies. A look back at what we have achieved so far clearly shows that we are heading in the right direction.

Start of the project "Underground Sun Storage 2030"

In the lead project "Underground Sun Storage 2030" (USS 2030), the safe, seasonal and large-scale storage of renewable energy in the form of hydrogen in underground gas reservoirs is being developed. In addition, all partners involved in the project will jointly gain valuable technical and economic knowledge for the development of a secure hydrogen supply.

In this research project, the only one of its kind in the world, renewable solar energy is converted into green hydrogen in a climate-neutral way by means of electrolysis and stored in a pure form in former natural gas reservoirs. Until 2025, interdisciplinary technical-scientific investigations for the energy future will be carried out under real conditions at a small former natural gas reservoir in the municipality of Gampern (Upper Austria) under the leadership of RAG Austria AG together with the project partners. A customised research facility will be built for this purpose.

"H2EU+Store" – Green Hydrogen for Europe

Hydrogen from sun and wind will be produced in Ukraine and stored for seasonal demand in Central Europe in the future

In order to accelerate and ramp up the production of green hydrogen for Europe, which is an absolute must have for a climate-neutral European energy supply, the international industry partnership consisting of Bayerngas GmbH, bayernets GmbH, Eco-Optima LLC, Open Grid Europe GmbH and RAG Austria AG has designed the "H2EU+Store" project. 

"H2EU+Store" will on the one hand create the necessary capacities for renewable electricity and hydrogen production in Ukraine and on the other hand the expansion of storage volumes in Austria and Germany , accompanied by adaptations in the area of gas transport to Central Europe.

Start of "Underground Sun Conversion – FlexStore" project

Sustainable storage for the renewable energy system of the future

From December 2020, the “Underground Sun Conversion – Flexible Storage” (USC-FlexStore) project will investigate seasonal storage of large quantities of renewable energy to be made available year round.

This innovative international project is aimed at developing a seasonal, high-volume transformation and storage solution for erratic renewable generation. Energy will be stored safely in gaseous form in underground facilities at depths of over 1,000 metres.

The aim of the project is to take RAG Austria AG’s patented “Underground Sun Conversion” (USC) technology (which involves methanation of CO₂ and green H₂) to the next level, and to design services based on it. Field tests are planned at RAG’s research facility in Pilsbach (Upper Austria).

„Zukunft Grünes Gas“: The new platform for a sustainable, secure and affordable energy system transformation

Since 10th November 2020, the new "Zukunft Grünes Gas" platform of the "Österreichische Vereinigung für das Gas- und Wasserfach" (ÖVGW) and the "Fachverbands der Gas- und Wärmeversorgungsunternehmungen" (FGW)  has been online. The new homepage focuses on information about green gas.

A sustainable, safe and affordable energy system transformation will only be possible with climate-friendly green gas. In the years ahead, domestic gas suppliers want to put this change into practice. Green gases such as biogas and hydrogen will become more important in the future.

In order for the energy system tranformation to succeed, all existing potentials of green energy in Austria are needed.

Gas currently accounts for more than 20 percent of total energy demand and stands for 100 percent supply security. Replacing this energy source is neither technically nor economically possible. The solution: green gas that can be used just like the gas we are used to today.