We’ve been writing about hydrogen as the fuel of the future for a long time now. Especially concerning the field of transportation, which has long been rumored to be the first to undergo a hydrogen revolution. This is because fuel cell technology is already at the stage where it can be produced and commercialized on a mass scale. The importance of hydrogen as an alternative fuel in transportation is also emphasized by the Polish Hydrogen Strategy, placing its use as the second key objective.
The European Union’s increasingly stringent climate policies of recent years are having a direct impact on the energy transition strategies adopted by member states. In addition to its use in power generation and industry, hydrogen is expected to be the tool that will enable the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions in the entire transport sector – from land and road transport to rail, sea, and even, in the long term, air.
Hydrogen vehicles
Research into the potential use of hydrogen in transportation has been ongoing since the 19th century. Back then, the gas was used to power early internal combustion engines, as well as balloons. However, the early models failed to meet the expectations of consumers and were superseded by conventional internal combustion engines, whose technology soon flourished.
Over the following years, fossil fuel internal combustion engines dominated the market. However, the situation began to change in the last thirty years as the public became more aware of the environment and the pollution that resulted in progressive climate change. Thus began the boom in electric vehicles and their manufacturers, including the American Tesla.
Today, the whole world is looking more and more closely at hydrogen vehicles – both hydrogen internal combustion engines and fuel cell vehicles (FCEV), which are identified as the biggest opportunity for electrification of the most difficult sectors of transport – long-distance and freight, rail, and even aviation. Why? Because unlike BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) they provide a longer range, as evidenced by the Toyota Mirai’s record of 1,360 km on a single tank, as well as a much shorter charging time (3-10 minutes).
How do hydrogen fuel cells work?
Fuel cells are devices that generate electricity to power an engine through electrochemical processes. Their construction involves the use of two electrodes – an anode and a cathode, which are separated by an electrolyte in solid or liquid form. Fuel (in this case, hydrogen) is continuously supplied to the anode and is split in the catalytic reaction into protons and electrons. The former penetrates to the cathode, where oxygen is fed. These reactions produce oxide anions, which then react with hydrogen cations to produce water. The resulting electrochemical reaction generates electricity to drive the motor, and the byproducts are water and heat. Importantly, when green hydrogen is used in the process, it has zero emissions. This translates directly into a beneficial environmental effect and improved comfort of life for city dwellers who are not exposed to inhaling toxic fumes daily.
Polish Hydrogen Strategy emphasizes that hydrogen will enable low-carbon mobility
The advantages of FCEVs are also underlined by the Polish Hydrogen Strategy, which first points out the need to use fuel cell buses in urban public transport. Especially since, according to new European regulations included in the Fit for 55 and the Act on Electromobility and Alternative Fuels, local authorities and public transport companies have been obliged to provide min. 30% of zero-emission buses in the fleets of used public transport vehicles already in 2028.
The strategy assumes that over the next five years it will be possible to create conditions for the implementation and operation of 500 hydrogen buses produced in Poland. They are expected to generate an annual demand for the new fuel of 3232 tons. To meet this demand, 32 hydrogen filling stations are to be set up in the country by 2025. In the first place, they will be located in large urban agglomerations and densely populated areas where the implementation of zero-emission buses is currently the most economically viable.
In the perspective of a decade (by 2030) the number of buses in operation is to increase to 2000 and with it the demand for fuel (ca. 32,462 t/year) and the number of necessary refueling infrastructure. Hydrogen railroad and maritime transport are also expected to develop, thanks to the gradual replacement of current ships, diesel, and electric locomotives with fuel cell ones.
An important element of the hydrogen strategy in the area of transport is also to examine the feasibility and profitability of using synthetic gases in transport, produced through the methanation of hydrogen, and putting them into use by 2030.
Lack of hydrogen filling stations in Poland
The goals set out in the strategy are extremely ambitious and pose a huge challenge for the nascent hydrogen market in Poland. Especially since it is 2022 and there is not a single stationary hydrogen filling station operating in the country. Building the 32nd in just three years is extremely difficult to imagine.
So far, the creation of adequate infrastructure has been blocked by relatively high costs and a lack of legal regulations in the field of hydrogen. Therefore, the planned subsidy programs are all the more optimistic. Including the program “Support for electric vehicle charging and hydrogen infrastructure” announced in November by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. It envisages a budget of 870 million PLN, out of which 100 million will be spent on the construction of hydrogen filling stations. According to the plans, 20 of them will be built within the framework of the program. Local governments, cooperatives, and communities as well as private companies will be able to take advantage of the funding.
Regulation of technical requirements for hydrogen stations
The official hydrogen law is expected to be promulgated in the second half of this year. However, at the beginning of February, the Climate Ministry published a draft regulation on technical requirements for hydrogen filling stations.
According to the published proposal, the station and the distributor must meet the technical requirements following the current level of knowledge and best practice, presented in the indicated ISO and PN standards. The compressor shall generate at the dispenser outlet a standard pressure of 350 bar, as well as 700 bar depending on the type of vehicle tank. Each station should be protected against unauthorized access, possible leaks, vehicle collisions, and fire and explosion hazards. Additionally, each facility should be equipped with fueling instruction that is accessible and posted in a visible location. The project and its general assumptions have been submitted for public consultation. These will last until February 15, 2022.
According to forecasts, by 2030 the Polish market may see as many as 70-140 thousand passenger vehicles, 630-1260 buses, and 12-24 thousand trucks powered by hydrogen. To serve the demand for fuel that they will generate it is necessary to implement as soon as possible the assumptions of the PSW in this area and further dynamic support for the development of the hydrogen market.
