Poland’s first PKN Orlen hydrogen station was opened in Krakow on Friday. The city intends to spend a total of around 700 million PLN on the development of hydrogen public transport. According to Jacek Majchrowski, the mayor of the city, this is another step on the way to achieving climate neutrality. The investment has been prepared in accordance with the Orlen Group’s hydrogen strategy.

During the press briefing Majchrowski stated that two years ago Krakow Municipal Holding and MPK signed an agreement with Orlen on hydrogen buses – and today the first such vehicle has been running since Friday on line 128 between Płaszów Depot and Prądnik Czerwony.

“I think hydrogen lines will continue to develop. The problem that has always existed was the question of the charging station; at the moment this has been solved. The charging station is there, we can “send” the bus, and if it works, there will work for other parts”, announced the Mayor of Krakow.

The new city bus was presented at the Płaszów bus service station. According to the announcement, the depot will be rebuilt, there will be space for a hydrogen station, a three-storey car park for hydrogen buses and technical and administrative facilities needed to operate these vehicles.

During Friday’s event, PKN Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek spoke about investments undertaken by the company in order to implement its low carbon emissions policy.

“We have to invest in modern technologies, in modern development, in zero-emission energy, we have to invest in alternative fuels. This is the future. We will not avoid investments in this direction if we want to be a developing company”, Obajtek stressed.

Orlen’s CEO announced that within 8 years the company will invest 7.4 billion PLN in the development of the hydrogen sector. After launching the hydrogen hub in Trzebinia, further such installations will be constructed in Wloclawek and Plock. The company is also going to build approximately 100 hydrogen stations.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński