The assumptions of the Polish Hydrogen Strategy until 2030 with an Outlook until 2040 were presented during a press event by the Minister of Climate and Environment Michał Kurtyka, Government Plenipotentiary for Renewable Energy Sources Ireneusz Zyska and Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Government Plenipotentiary for Hydrogen Economy Krzysztof Kubów.

The draft sets out objectives and activities for the development of national competencies and technologies with the objective of building a low-carbon hydrogen economy. These objectives refer to three areas, which can benefit from the development of hydrogen technologies – energy, transport and industry, as well as to its production, distribution and the necessary regulatory and funding changes.

The Polish Government has the ambition to develop strong national and local competencies in manufacturing key components of the hydrogen economy value chain and to use them to maintain the competitiveness of the Polish economy while taking care of the environment and climate at large. The implementation of our strategy will support a just energy transition, leading to the popularisation and dissemination of Polish technologies in Europe and worldwide, said Michał Kurtyka, Minister of Climate and Environment, announcing that the draft Strategy had been published, thus launching the process of public consultation.

According to Vice-Minister Ireneusz Zyska, the works on the Polish Hydrogen Strategy (PHS) constitute a part of a broader plan of activities of the Polish Government pertaining to just energy transition, the objective of which is to build and bring about a zero-emission energy system ensuring better air quality.

This is a key project of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, which is fully in line with the objectives and work of the European Commission and our partners in the European Union aimed at bringing about the European Green Deal. The implementation of this strategy will allow the Polish economy to grow, based on a new and future-oriented area, thus supporting the development of renewable energy sources, added the Government Plenipotentiary for RES Ireneusz Zyska.

The vision and overriding aim of PHS is to build a Polish hydrogen industry by developing local hydrogen patents and technologies, as well as using them for achieving climate neutrality and ensuring competitiveness of the Polish economy.

The Hydrogen Strategy developed by Poland was drafted as a response to the changes occurring in the European and global energy landscape — we are now witnessing a technological race towards innovative ways to produce, transport and use hydrogen. The fact that Poland decided to take an active part in this race is of strategic importance for the future of domestic industry, energy and transport, which are highlighted in the draft as priority areas for the use of hydrogen technologies, the Secretary of State at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister Krzysztof Kubów pointed out.

We are about to take a historic step to create a new industry. We look forward to active participation of the general public in this process. In particular, we encourage representatives of academia and enterprise to participate in the public consultations. The input from the industry representatives will allow us to improve the document and will have a significant impact on the final shape of the strategy, Minister Kurtyka concluded.

ABOUT THE PHS

The draft Polish Hydrogen Strategy identifies 6 objectives which need to be achieved:

• Objective 1 - implementation of hydrogen technologies in the energy sector;
• Objective 2 - use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel for transport;
• Objective 3 - support for the decarbonisation of industry;
• Objective 4 - production of hydrogen in new installations;
• Objective 5 - efficient and safe distribution of hydrogen;
• Objective 6 - building a stable regulatory environment.

The strategy provides for a total of 40 activities with the aim of implementing these objectives, using the Polish technological, academic and research potential in the field of modern hydrogen technologies and at building a Polish hydrogen industry. The project describes the current state of the hydrogen market, presents basic technological and business barriers, and outlines the directions in which the market should develop to enable it to function on a scale allowing it to compete with conventional fuels in the next decade.

Comments and feedback on the draft may be submitted on the attached form within 30 days from the date the draft was published for public consultation to the following address wodor@klimat.gov.pl.