Scientists from Sarajevo study Vienna's hydrogen strategy

Representatives of the CNT research centre in Sarajevo, which built the first hydrogen electrolyser in the Balkans, travelled to Vienna to discuss the future of hydrogen use in the energy transition with Wiener Stadtwerke, Wiener Netze, Wiener Linien and Municipal Department 48.

In May, a gas and hydrogen expert from Wiener Netze (public utility network operator) participated in the Sarajevo Innovation Summit. They discussed Vienna's most important projects and approaches, Sarajevo's plans and common challenges. They also visited the Sarajevo Centre for Advanced Technologies (CNT), which is the only relevant body in the city dealing with the use of hydrogen and which will support relevant municipal companies in the future. The Sarajevo experts travelled to Vienna from 29 to 30 July to see Vienna's best practices in hydrogen energy production.

Vienna's hydrogen strategy

The City of Vienna only started to expand its hydrogen capacity in 2020, but four years later the municipal power plant was already supplying hydrogen to public and private customers. In order to become CO₂ neutral by 2040, significant investments in infrastructure are needed, as the number of customers is very large.

The delegation from Sarajevo was given an overview of the potential uses and challenges of hydrogen by Wiener Stadtwerke (public utilities) and Wiener Netze. In addition to mobility, hydrogen is also used to generate electricity and heat. Without international pipelines, it is not possible to meet the needs of a large city. The City of Vienna has always been a central trading hub for gas. It is therefore important not to lose this strategic position when switching to hydrogen.

The city is currently testing the use of hydrogen vehicles for both the Wiener Linien (Vienna's public transport provider) and the waste collection service. During a presentation at the Municipal Department for Waste Management, Street Cleaning and Vehicle Fleet (MA 48), the delegation learned that CO₂-free alternatives are not always easy to test in the city's ongoing and challenging operations. Both Wiener Linien buses and waste collection vehicles are exposed to stop-and-go urban traffic, which is particularly energy-intensive, and they have to cover long distances before they can return to a charging station.

Vienna and Sarajevo develop international cooperation

The CNT supports a number of start-ups to achieve a positive economic and social impact. According to the director of the CNT, cooperation with one of the two companies operated by the City of Vienna in the country could be advantageous for the submission of EU-funded projects. Both Wiener Stadtwerke and the CNT are members of the EU advisory body on hydrogen (Hydrogen Europe).