Polish success stories and ecosystem development of the green hydrogen industry

In the beginning, Aleksander Rajch shortly presented the Polish New Mobility Association, which is the largest industry organization driving towards e-mobility and hydrogen technology market in Poland. The PSNM associates with over 200 companies, including vehicle and infrastructure producers and providers of recharging and refueling.

Szymon Płoński presented the highlights of the Lower Silesian Hydrogen Valley and its connections to the Baltic Sea Hydrogen Valley project. He also presented the Polish funding of new hydrogen hubs and the establishment of hydrogen refuelling stations. He provided details on the locations and capacities of these new projects.

Hydrogen production in the Lower Silesian Hydrogen Valley has a 5 MW electrolyser with a potential to scale up to 26 MW. Three hydrogen refueling stations have been established in the region. They are located in Wroclaw, Walbrzych and Oława. The Wroclaw location also has an option for additional two refueling stations.

Mr. Płoński emphasized that the current development of the hydrogen ecosystems in Poland is due to the joint funding of projects by national operators as well as private investors. This allows multiple projects to be funded simultaneously and on different development levels.

A key element of Mr. Płoński’s presentation was the cooperation between Polish and Baltic Sea Regions Hydrogen Valleys. Together they are developing the energy motorway concept, which aims to transport green energy, such as green ammonia or hydrogen, from the northern part of Poland to the southern industrial regions. Different kinds of transportation methods are needed for the movement of green energy. These include roadways, waterways and even railroads.

One example of hydrogen powered railroads was presented by Maciej Grześkowiak from PESA, the manufacturer of the first Polish hydrogen-powered locomotive. They have been developing a hydrogen shunting locomotive in a partnership with ABB and Ballard. ABB has a vast experience from energy management and Ballard for fuel cells.

The developed locomotive has electric engines, lithium-titanium battery, and fuel cells. Mr. Grześkowiak emphasised the locomotive’s ability to operate with the same parameters as diesel locomotives. The locomotive has already been authorized for rail lines and the passenger train is in development as well. The passenger train will utilize both electric grid power and hydrogen fuel cells, which offers operational flexibility in regions that aren’t electrified. The ultimate aim of both development projects is to decarbonize the rail transportation system.

The shunting locomotive has already been tested in various locations, including SSAB’s steel production facilities. Potential customers showed great interest in the locomotive, highlighting the importance of noise reduction and green transport.

Finally, Wojciech Lach introduced the current and upcoming ORLEN activities in the Polish hydrogen sector in 2024–2025. Based on the company’s strategy, ORLEN is focusing on green hydrogen production, fertilizer production and transport. Additionally, they have committed to developing hydrogen refueling stations across Poland.

Recently ORLEN received funding to start their Hydrogen Eagle and Green Refinery projects. They aim to develop a large-scale electrolyser capacity and meet the regulatory requirements for green hydrogen in transportation. The funding will support producing green hydrogen powered by renewable energy as well as low emission hydrogen derived from municipal waste. The goal of the projects is to transition from fossil fuels towards low and zero-emission hydrogen.

To encourage students to participate in hydrogen projects, ORLEN has started a Hydrogen Academy. It is a program that aims at attracting and training students to work with hydrogen related projects. The Academy is a collaboration between industry partners and universities.

At the end of the meeting Mr. Rajch mentioned the possibility to participate in the New Mobility Congress, 23 – 25 September in Katowice, Poland within the Hydrogen Suppliers Days. The event will connect suppliers, recipients and key partners in the hydrogen sector as well as highlight the latest technologies, materials, and solutions for hydrogen production, storage, and distribution.

The next HyTruck Breakfast Briefing meeting will be held on Wednesday the 3^rd of September at 9:00 CET. The event will be hosted by the HyTruck partner CLIC Innovation, and the agenda will be confirmed closer to the event.

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