ORLEN to build three more hydrogen fuel stations
The project agreement has just been signed with the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.
PKN ORLEN plans to build three public stations for refuelling hydrogen vehicles in Wałbrzych, Poznań and Katowice.
The investment marks another concrete step in the delivery of the Company’s full value chain hydrogen strategy. Its flagship ‘Hydrogen Eagle’ project was recently approved by the European Commission under the IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest) Hy2Use programme and was the only Polish initiative among the select group of 35 projects proposed by applicants from 13 European countries.
Daniel Obajtek, CEO of PKN ORLEN, said, “PKN ORLEN’s decisive entry into the hydrogen market and consolidation of its leading position there result from the energy transition vision we have been consistently pursuing for several years now.”
PKN ORLEN has been successfully diversifying efforts to secure sources of non-repayable finance that would allow it achieve its ambitious goals. In building the new hydrogen fuel stations in Wałbrzych, Poznań and Katowice PKN ORLEN will partly rely on financial support granted under the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management’s ‘Support for electric vehicle charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure’ programme, with additional funding received for the stations in Poznań and Katowice from the EU’s CEF Transport Blending Facility under the ‘Clean Cities – Hydrogen Mobility in Poland (Phase I)’ project.
The stations in Katowice and Poznań are due to be launched in the second half of 2023, while the one in Wałbrzych will be placed in service by early 2025.
The ‘Hydrogen Eagle’ project, now being prepared by PKN ORLEN, will enable the construction in Poland of complete infrastructure for the production and distribution of low- and zero-carbon hydrogen.
