‘We need green fuel for successful decarbonisation’

Green hydrogen, derivatives such as ammonia and methanol, and biogas are key terms when it comes to climate-friendly energy and green fuels. Axpo has been involved in projects in all areas both at home and abroad for several years. The example of Postauto shows that Switzerland also wants to focus on green fuels. The yellow Post subsidiary will increasingly use hydrogen buses in the canton of Aargau in future. With green hydrogen from Axpo. Guy Bühler, Head of Hydrogen at Axpo, and Véronique Abrate, Head of Biogas International, discuss market hurdles and local potential for the green fuels of the future.

Guy Bühler, excavators arrived at the Wildischachen industrial estate in Brugg a good two weeks ago. So things are moving forward. What is the current status of the planned H2 plant?

Green hydrogen is an important component of decarbonisation – not only we are convinced of this, but the industry as a whole. In this first phase, the focus in Wildegg-Brugg is now on supplying green hydrogen to the filling station of our local partner Voegtlin-Meyer. This will be implemented from the first half of 2026 onwards. The green hydrogen will come from our hydrogen plants in Domat/Ems and – as soon as it is operational – from Bürglen in the canton of Uri. The project is being implemented in stages. In further steps and if the market environment is right, we can then expand the plant to up to 15 MW.

There are also voices saying that there are too few customers and that it is not worth investing in hydrogen projects.

With green hydrogen, we have the so-called chicken-and-egg problem. We need customers, but we also need producers. Axpo is doing pioneering work in this area, for example with the plant in Domat/Ems, where we have already sold small quantities of hydrogen. Axpo's belief in the ramp-up of hydrogen is also demonstrated by our projects in Switzerland and abroad, such as the plant in Graubünden mentioned above and the ship on Lake Lucerne, which will be powered by green hydrogen in future.

Speaking of projects abroad, where do we currently stand with the various projects?

Large projects such as the one in Valle Peligna in Italy take time, but we are on track. Our partners in France's Vallée d'Arve are also making good progress with their hydrogen mobility project. Iceland is also an exciting field. Through our partnership with SGGI, we are very close to the action when it comes to the production of renewable gases and, of course, our offensive strategy in the biogas sector, for example in Poland, Spain and Portugal.

That's where you come in, Véronique. What exactly do we do at Axpo in the biogas sector? What is the goal?

Natural gas plays a key role in the energy system; for electricity production in some countries, for heating and industrial processes in all of them.

The gas we use in Europe is mainly fossil and imported. It is therefore not climate friendly and creates geopolitical dependencies that we all realized after Russia invaded Ukraine. Biogas - all well as green hydrogen - are alternatives to natural gas for the applications that cannot be electrified. Biogas is local and renewable since it is produced out of regional organic residues and by-products and that's why Axpo wants to offer this product to its industrial customers. Besides our Swiss portfolio, Axpo now builds biogas plants in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Poland.

Can you give an example?

For instance Axpo has purchased biomethane projects in Italy. The plants in Basilica and Sicily will each produce around 45 GWh of renewable energy per year and will start operating between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026. In Spain, for example, the biomethane plant in Torre Santamaría currently feeds 26 GWh of biomethane into the gas grid every year and will more than quadruple its annual biomethane production to 115 GWh. All of this is a very concrete investment in renewable green gases.

But we also have biogas in Switzerland, don't we?

Absolutely. Our colleagues in the biomass department have an impressive portfolio in Switzerland. Axpo is Switzerland's largest producer of renewable energies, and renewable energies from biogenic waste naturally play a role here. Axpo Biomasse AG produces heat, electricity and biogas with its 15 dry fermentation plants. This energy can be used for heating buildings or for mobility, among other things.

Back to hydrogen. Postauto has announced plans to deploy several hydrogen buses in the Brugg region of Aargau. So there are customers after all, Guy Bühler?

Yes, the Postauto example shows that there is potential. Our partner Voegtlin-Meyer, which will operate the buses on behalf of Postauto AG, sees it the same way. Postauto will purchase a total of eight hydrogen buses, which are expected to be deployed on the roads in the Brugg region from summer 2026, running on green fuel from Axpo.

from Axpo. One thing is clear: we have to get close to the prices of fossil fuels. That is and remains a challenge. That is why we are building our H2 plant in Brugg – the third plant in our portfolio – in stages, depending on market developments. Axpo's desire to actively shape the hydrogen market in Switzerland and Europe is also demonstrated by our efforts with the MatcH2 networking platform, where we bring together various hydrogen players. Ultimately, we need demand and the corresponding supply. The example of Wildegg-Brugg and the Postbuses that will be powered by green hydrogen from Axpo in future is a good example of this, isn't it?