Michał Kurtyka, the Minister of Climate and Environment, pointed out that Poland, as the first country in the European Union, after the announcement of the „Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate-Neutral Europe” by the European Commission in July 2020, entered into a sectoral agreement on the development of the hydrogen economy.

“Today’s event gives me personal satisfaction, as around the ministry I lead, initiatives that bring together many institutions and enterprises that unite around the common goal of Poland’s economic development based on modern technologies are being created. It is also yet another proof that Poland is standing at the forefront of the European energy transformation” – said the Minister.

As emphasized by the head of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, Poland must direct a new impetus for economic development on the paths that will allow it to participate in the civilization challenge of achieving climate neutrality. He added that the use of hydrogen technologies would be one of its important elements.

“Poland is actively involved in the process of creating the value chain of low-emission hydrogen technologies. We are the fifth producer of hydrogen in the world and the third in the European Union. It is both a challenge related to the decarbonization of this production and a development opportunity. We have adequate industrial facilities, but, what is equally important – hundreds of qualified people who are ready to work in this sector” – emphasized the Minister.

According to the Minister, the development of the hydrogen economy is the result of the conscious policy of the government, aimed not only at building the advantage of Polish entrepreneurs, creating thousands of well-paid jobs, but – above all – improving the quality of life of citizens.

“The accomplishment of this goal will be facilitated by, among others, Hydrogen Valleys that will be created in subsequent regions of Poland. They are to integrate entities from different sectors that will create a network of connections conducive to the development of the hydrogen economy value chain” – said the Minister.

As Minister Michał Kurtyka recalled, the dissemination of hydrogen is also a key initiative that fits into the objectives of the „Polish Hydrogen Strategy until 2030 with a view to 2040” that has been developed by the Ministry of Climate and Environment and will be adopted by the Council of Ministers in coming weeks.

“I believe that the hydrogen autumn is the beginning of a new chapter in Poland’s economic development, in which all of us will be involved. I am convinced that with this agreement, we will jointly implement ambitious projects and set a path for other European Union countries to follow” – added the Minister.

“Sectoral Agreement for the Development of the Hydrogen Economy” is an example of excellent cooperation between the government administration, local government units, representatives of entrepreneurs, the scientific community, and business environment units” – emphasized Ireneusz Zyska, Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment.

“Today, the agreement will be joined by 138 entities representing various sectors of the economy, in which the production, transmission, storage, and use of hydrogen will play an important role in the future, with particular emphasis on transport, energy, heating, and industry” – noted the Deputy Minister.

Ireneusz Zyska emphasized that the strategic goal of the agreement is to maximize the Polish local content in the procurement chain for the development of the hydrogen economy.

“The highest possible share in the supply chain of Polish entrepreneurs as well as Polish technical thought and Polish patents will be of key importance for maintaining the competitiveness of our economy, decarbonizing the most energy-intensive sectors, and effective economic competition with other countries that have also noticed the enormous potential of hydrogen” – he explained.

As the government’s plenipotentiary for renewable energy sources, Ireneusz Zyska also informed that the agreement provided for an ambitious local content indicator of not less than 50% of the total value in 2030. The added value for the Polish economy from the accomplishment of this indicator is estimated at EUR 343 – 870 million.

“The agreement includes proposals for actions focused on developing the market in terms of demand and creating relevant legal regulations and institutional environment. What is particularly important, our sectoral agreement is part of the EU policy for the hydrogen economy” – explained the Deputy Minister.

Ireneusz Zyska also stressed that the initiative to conclude the agreement was entirely bottom-up and voluntary, and the interest from the market was enormous.

“The scale of interest in this initiative exceeded our wildest expectations. I am convinced that the conclusion of the agreement and further works within the Coordination Council for the Hydrogen Economy will allow us to take advantage of the historic opportunity to gain and maintain the Poland’s leading position in the emerging global hydrogen market” – summed up Ireneusz Zyska, Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment.