New BMWET study confirms: Austria needs large-scale hydorgen storage
On 22 November 2025, the study “Hydrogen Storage in Austria”, commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economy, Energy and Tourism, was presented. The study makes clear: The energy transition will not succeed without large-scale seasonal storage. RAG Austria has already successfully implemented the required technology at the Upper Austrian Molasse Zone.
Key Findings:
Hydrogen demand will increase from 5 TWh (2030) to 48 TWh (2040)
Storage demand will grow from 1.2 TWh to 7.7 TWh over the same period
Storage facilities make a crucial contribution to security of supply, especially in the event of import disruptions or periods of low renewable generation
Only with sufficient storage capacity Austria can reliably supply itself with electricity and heat from dispatchable power plants, rather than merely producing green electricity on a balance-sheet basis over the course of a year.
RAG Austria has already successfully implemented the required technology: the international flagship project Underground Sun Storage has proven that green hydrogen can be stored safely, efficiently, and seasonally in former natural gas storage facilities. This expertise is now being incorporated into the European reference project EUH2STARS, which aims to further scale up hydrogen storage.
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