Poland announces plans for green hydrogen production plant

The head of Poland’s Industrial Development Agency (ARP) has unveiled plans to build a green hydrogen production plant in the south-western region of Silesia. This move underscores the growing interest in hydrogen as a sustainable fuel.

According to Precedence Reasearch, a Canadian/Indian strategic market insights company, the value of the global green hydrogen market will soar from $6.26 billion last year to over $134.38 billion by 2033, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Unlike less environmentally-friendly forms of the gas, identified as grey or brown or blue, green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis using renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power. It can be used in transportation, industry, and energy storage.

Michał Dąbrowski said the factory will be a joint venture between the ARP, a state run agency which buys into mainly industrial companies to provide impetus for their growth, and three investment partners.

"I believe this project will transform the outlook for Poland's economy, particularly in the transportation and environmental sectors," he told the Polish Press Agency. The investment, he added, would incorporate the use of green hydrogen in both industry and the automotive sectors.

The initiative is likely to be located in Silesia, an area transitioning from coal mining and heavy industry, according to Dąbrowski. However, neither the exact location of the factory nor the names of the additional partners in the project were revealed.

Poland is currently one of the world’s largest producers of hydrogen produced from natural gas, most of which is used in industrial processes in the chemical industry, and is classified as “blue” or “grey” hydrogen.

Poland’s neighbors in Germany have invested significantly in hydrogen use, particularly in the automotive sector. According to a gas expert on the German market TVP World spoke to, widescale use of the gas for transport or heating has several distribution issues, which remain a challenge.

News.Az