Daniel Obajtek said on Twitter this week that the company was investing to build its position as a regional leader in hydrogen technology.
"In 2022, we will start producing hydrogen fuel in Włocławek,” he tweeted on Monday.
PKN Orlen operates a production plant in the north-central Polish city through its Anwil subsidiary.
Obajtek added that, alongside investing in new technology, PKN Orlen was stepping up its involvement in industry organizations.
“We want to build our position as a regional leader in hydrogen technology through working with leading research centers and exchanging know-how," Obajtek said.
In another post, he announced that PKN Orlen “has joined H2Europe, an organization that brings together nearly 200 companies and research centers working for the development of fuel cells and hydrogen technology.”
He said that being part of the organization “offers access to the transfer of know-how and an opportunity to raise funds" for research and to develop hydrogen and fuel-cell technology.
Last week, PKN Orlen said it had started the process of selecting a contractor to build a “hydrogen hub” in Włocławek, the energetyka24.com website reported.
Ultimately, the facility is expected to have the capacity to produce up to 600 kilograms of refined hydrogen per hour.
The project is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2022, according to energetyka24.com.
The website quoted PKN Orlen as saying that the Włocławek project includes a “production unit and logistics and distribution infrastructure" and is “an important element furthering the company’s emission neutrality strategy in the area of alternative fuels.”
In addition to the hydrogen hub in Włocławek and a similar project planned in nearby Płock, PKN Orlen is developing hydrogen technology at its Orlen Południe biorefinery in Trzebinia, southern Poland, energetyka24.com reported.
Production of fuel-cell grade hydrogen is scheduled to start there next year, according to the website.
(gs/pk)
Source: energetyka24.com, PAP