VODÍK
The Crossroads
of Czech Hydrogen Transformation.
Have We Missed
The Polish Hydrogen Train?
Large and ambitious investments is one way Polish political discourse could be characterized
over the last five years, at least. This has been reflected in Poland’s public safety, army, transport
infrastructure, and construction. The Polish government is preparing to construct three brand new
nuclear power plants supplemented by the preparation of smaller modular reactors. Hydrogen
technologies, as the symbol of the future for the European union, is no different in this regard.
The fact that Poland is becoming a regional
superpower in many ways, hydrogen included, was
demonstrated at the Polish Hydrogen Forum in
Poznan at the end of April this year. As is traditional
for the ambitious Polish spirit, the event rose to
a scale encompassing the entirety of central Europe.
Even the skeptical Brussels offices, for which
“Polska” and central Europe are generally considered
rather primitive, had to admit to the event’s value.
European commissioners themselves admitted
The difference with Poland, when compared
to other Central European countries, is not only
the degree of details and realistic responsible
planning. It is notably in the coverage of resources,
the creation of demand covered by the capital
market, and the adequately set business case with
carefully calculated inclusion of depreciation when
using subsidy resources from Europe.
that after the Rotterdam Convention, the Central
European Conference 2023 H2 Poland stood out
as the second largest event in Europe when it
came to scale and content. When compared to
the Polish event, the traditional German Hydrogen
Week seemed merely like an event of solely local
importance. On the contrary to what might appear
obvious at first, this is not entirely caused by the fact
that while the Brussels forum discusses how organic
the seaweed was in the catering on Monday, while
the individuals in Poznan were discussing the future
fiscal ratio of GDP to the sale of sophisticated
electrolyser components heading for foreign markets
(of course all of them decorated with a Polish flag).
34 ǀ POSITIV HYDROGEN
The difference with Poland, when compared to
other Central European countries, is not only
the degree of details and realistic responsible
planning. It is notably in the coverage of resources,
the creation of demand covered by the capital
market, and the adequately set business case with
carefully calculated inclusion of depreciation when
using subsidy resources from Europe. The hydrogen
strategy recently published by the Polish republic
states a thousand hydrogen buses will be in
operation by 2030 with specified realization
locations, also taking into account a branch of
the Backbone hydrogen pipeline project leading
from Finland towards Germany. The substantial
difference when compared to other European
countries here can be found not only in the reality
of the technology’s application, but mainly in
the mindset of Polish stakeholders. Who would ever
consider that a hydrogen pipeline would lead to
Germany instead of from Germany?
Perhaps this is a direct consequence of why
the Poles talk about “wodorization” of the national
economy, and then almost with the same ferocity
of a Polish merchant, go to the European Union
not only for money, but also for the know-how.
However, this delegation, again in stark contrast
to other countries, is not led through a diplomatic
position on paper.. Rather through the brutally
pragmatic and utilitarian actions of Polish ministers
that are not afraid to openly discuss in front of
a political forum of a thousand people that the
fuel cells and other components of the hydrogen
industry will not be bought and imported from
Germany or France, as the Polish economy is not
interested in any form of industrial lock-in. It will
instead be directly developed at Polish Universities.
“Dear Universities, Prepare yourselves. I expect
development. To give you some motivation, each