Motor Oil has launched Greece’s first publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling station under its AVIN brand, a major step in the country’s push for cleaner transport, according to tovima.com and ot.gr. Located near the company’s refinery on the old Athens–Corinth National Road in Agioi Theodoroi, the station supports both light and heavy-duty hydrogen vehicles.
The €3 million project was 50% co-funded by the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) – Transport programme. For now, green hydrogen is sourced from Austria’s Wien Energie and delivered by Coral Gas. Eventually, fuel will come from Motor Oil’s own hydrogen facility, now under construction. The station itself was built by BFS, a Motor Oil subsidiary.
Hydrogen production in Greece is expected to start in 2026. It will supply the company’s refinery and its lubricants division, LPC. Two more hydrogen stations are planned—in Akrata and at OSY’s Thriasio bus depot—with funding already secured.
Greece is also moving to integrate hydrogen vehicles into public transport. Through the EU-backed TRIERES programme, the Loutraki municipality and Olympia Odos will receive two hydrogen vehicles. OSY is expected to acquire 2–3 hydrogen buses initially, while a larger tender includes 50 hydrogen-powered buses out of 400.
“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.
Regulatory hurdles persist. Until recently, Greece lacked a legal framework for hydrogen stations, and hydrogen-powered vehicles still can’t be officially registered. Trials so far have used foreign-plated vehicles.
Hydrogen Europe CEO Georgios Hatzimarkakis sees strong growth potential, projecting up to 20 hydrogen stations in Greece as part of wider EU targets.
Source: tovima.com, ot.gr
