Polish energy company Orlen has received €62 million in EU backing for its green hydrogen project, Clean Cities – Hydrogen mobility in Poland, which includes a green hydrogen plant and several hydrogen refuelling stations.
The funding comes from the European Commission's CEF Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility, with a total of €424 million disbursed across 42 projects, including Orlen's initiative.
Grzegorz Jozwiak, Head of the Hydrogen Technology and Synthetic Fuels Office at Orlen, highlighted the importance of zero-emission public mobility, particularly in large municipalities: “This is why we're resolute in our mission to spearhead this form of mobility in partnership with local governments across Poland. The grant we have just received demonstrates that we're on the right track, resonating with the blueprint endorsed by EU authorities.”
The EU funding will support the third phase of Orlen's project, which aims to expand Poland's hydrogen infrastructure with an additional 16 publicly available refuelling stations along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Orlen also plans to establish another automotive-grade hydrogen production plant in Szczecin, using water electrolysis powered by renewables.
In total, Orlen aims to build an international network of over 100 hydrogen refuelling stations spanning Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia by 2030. The hydrogen will be delivered through a European chain of hydrogen hubs powered by renewable energy and facilities converting municipal waste into zero- and low-carbon hydrogen.
Orlen's ambitions include reaching total electrolyser capacities of about 1GW by 2030.
