The document was signed by Poland’s Climate and Environment Minister Anna Moskwa and Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura on Thursday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Under the memorandum of cooperation, Poland and Japan will work closer together in producing renewable, low-emission hydrogen, as well as in developing a sustainable and affordable supply chain for hydrogen in industries such as energy, transport, heating and manufacturing, officials said.
Poland’s Moskwa told reporters in Warsaw: “I am convinced that this agreement will encourage Japanese companies to invest in the Polish hydrogen sector, and in our part of Europe, as well as raising awareness of Poland’s role as a country that is committed to international cooperation in developing zero-emission technology.”
Moskwa said that the global hydrogen market would be worth USD 220 billion in 2028, according to forecasts.
She added: “I am certain that hydrogen can play an important role in a just transition of European economies and help significantly reduce emissions.”
Poland 'leads the region' in producing hydrogen
Moskwa told a news conference that “Poland wants to play an active part in this process” and “leads the region” in producing hydrogen.
“At 1.3 million tonnes a year, Poland ranks fifth in the world and third in the European Union” when it comes to producing hydrogen, she said.
Moskwa also said that Warsaw was "keenly interested" in Japan’s work on developing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, the PAP news agency reported.
‘Hydrogen and CCS ensure energy security’
Moskwa said that "solutions such as hydrogen and CCS ensure energy security and sovereignty.”
She stated: “Poland and Japan have a very similar approach to energy transition as both economies use coal and will continue to do so. They also share a commitment to making energy transition just, both for economies and for citizens.”
Before signing the Polish-Japanese hydrogen agreement, Moskwa and Nishimura held talks in Warsaw about the impact of the war in Ukraine on energy markets and the reconstruction of Ukraine, according to officials.
They also discussed decarbonisation and the development of renewable sources of energy, reporters were told.
Polish and Japanese officials also discussed "options for cooperation in fostering innovative solutions for the growth of nuclear energy," including a project to develop a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) by Poland’s National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) in tandem with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), according to a statement.
Friday is day 436 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl