Greek multinational energy company Motor Oil has launched Greece’s first publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling station, operated under the AVIN brand, marking a major milestone in the country’s transition to cleaner transport solutions. Located along the old Athens–Corinth National Road near the company’s refinery in Agioi Theodoroi, the station enables refuelling for both light and heavy-duty hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The €3 million investment was co-funded 50% by the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) – Transport programme. For now, the station is supplied with green hydrogen from Austria’s Wien Energie, transported by Coral Gas. In the future, refuelling will be handled by Motor Oil’s own hydrogen production facility currently under construction at its refinery. The station itself was built by BFS, another Motor Oil subsidiary.

Hydrogen production in Greece is expected to begin in 2026, with green hydrogen powering both the refinery and Motor Oil’s lubricants arm, LPC. The company is also preparing two additional hydrogen refuelling stations—one in Akrata and another at the OSY bus depot in Thriasio. Funding for both projects has been secured.

In parallel, Greece is advancing plans to integrate hydrogen-powered vehicles into public transport. Through the EU-funded TRIERES programme, two hydrogen vehicles will be procured by Loutraki municipality and Olympia Odos, while OSY (Athens’ public transport operator) will initially acquire two to three hydrogen buses. A broader tender for 400 new buses—50 of them hydrogen-powered—is expected soon, with procurement for the first 125 already in motion.

Hydrogen is seen as a game-changing solution for heavy transport sectors—such as long-haul trucking, intercity coaches, delivery vans, and even short-sea shipping—where electrification remains challenging. “Motor Oil is leading the way in hydrogen mobility, cutting the ribbon on future transport solutions already in pilot use across Europe,” said AVIN Oil’s General Manager, Yiannis Raptakis, at the station’s launch.

Notably, regulatory gaps have delayed progress. Greece lacked a legal framework for hydrogen stations until recently, and hydrogen-powered vehicles cannot yet be officially registered in the country. Trial runs were conducted using foreign-plated vehicles.

According to Hydrogen Europe CEO Georgios Hatzimarkakis, up to 20 hydrogen stations could be developed in Greece in line with long-term EU plans, alongside 380 across Europe. Currently, there are around 1,150 stations globally. He noted the current price of hydrogen is about €15/kg—enough to drive 100 km—but this is expected to drop significantly as surplus green energy is increasingly converted into hydrogen. Electricity accounts for roughly 70% of hydrogen production costs.

Hatzimarkakis also emphasized hydrogen’s strategic role for Europe, calling it the continent’s response to Chinese battery dominance. Advantages include fast refuelling (3–5 minutes) and high vehicle range—up to 700 km for cars and over 1,000 km for trucks.

Source: OT