MOL Group has launched Central and Eastern Europe’s largest green hydrogen plant at its Százhalombatta refinery, marking a significant step in the region’s sustainability efforts. The new facility, equipped with a 10 megawatt electrolysis unit, will produce 1,600 tonnes of clean, carbon-neutral green hydrogen annually. This initiative is set to cut the Danube Refinery’s carbon dioxide emissions by 25,000 tonnes per year—equivalent to the annual CO₂ emissions of approximately 5,400 typical cars.
The Százhalombatta plant, inaugurated in April, aligns with MOL Group’s SHAPE TOMORROW strategy aimed at enhancing regional sustainability, competitiveness, and self-sufficiency. The plant utilizes electrolysis technology from Plug Power, which decomposes water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity from renewable sources, producing no harmful by-products. The process yields 8-9 tonnes of pure oxygen per tonne of hydrogen produced, leveraging Plug Power’s nearly 50 years of operational expertise in hydrogen generation.
Ádám Horváth, Vice President of New and Sustainable Businesses at MOL Group, emphasized the importance of green hydrogen as a versatile and clean energy source. “Green hydrogen is not only a key component in our fuel production but will soon be directly utilized in the transportation sector as well. This aligns with our strategic goal of supporting the green energy transition. Following Százhalombatta, we plan to establish similar plants in Bratislava and Rijeka, with the latter projected to commence operations in 2026.”
The EUR 22 million investment in the Százhalombatta plant represents a crucial step towards reducing the carbon footprint of the Danube Refinery. The new technology is expected to gradually replace the natural gas-based production processes, which currently contribute to one-sixth of MOL Group’s total CO₂ emissions.
