Polish multienergy concern Orlen is focusing on the development of hydrogen technologies. In Europe, hydrogen is ceasing to be merely a tool for decarbonisation and is becoming one of the main levers for the diversification and derussification of European industry. The outbreak of war in Ukraine has caused the Union to bet even more strongly on the development of hydrogen technology.

Last year, the government presented a Polish Hydrogen Strategy until 2030 with an outlook until 2040, which envisages the creation of a Polish hydrogen industry and its development to achieve climate neutrality and maintain the competitiveness of the Polish economy.

Hydrogen is also an important element of PKN Orlen’s development strategy. In 2020, the company announced a strategy to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, with a focus on the development of hydrogen technology.

“In light of the fact that we are the largest multi-utility company in this part of Europe, our plans and goals for building a hydrogen economy must be ambitious and bold”, stressed Dominika Niewierska, head of PKN Orlen’s New Business Streams Development Department.

ORLEN Group wants to be a transformational leader in the Central European market, producing and supplying zero and low carbon hydrogen as an alternative fuel for the transport sector. The company sees hydrogen as a major lever for decarbonisation.

“Our plans in this area include, on the one hand, an extension of the ambitious targets announced in the 2020 Decarbonisation Strategy and, on the other hand, a response to the rapidly changing market and regulatory environment. By 2030, 50 % of the hydrogen produced in the Orlen Group is to be zero and low carbon. The third pillar is research and development, and the fourth pillar is hydrogen for sectors that are a future area of interest for us, depending on the scale of development and availability of zero-carbon electricity sources after 2030”, added Niewierska.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński