- PKN ORLEN has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Alstom for the supply of zero-emission, eco-friendly trains and hydrogen fuel for public rail transport
- First hydrogen vehicles could operate on regional lines within two years
PKN ORLEN has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Alstom for the supply of zero-emission, eco-friendly trains and hydrogen fuel for public rail transport. The corporation, which is consistently implementing the hydrogen strategy, announced earlier this year, that it will provide the refuelling infrastructure for trains produced by Alstom. The first hydrogen vehicles are likely to roll out on regional lines within two years.
“We are effectively implementing our hydrogen strategy, which supports our efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. By 2030, we intend to allocate about PLN 7.5bn into investments. This will translate into a reduction of 1.6m tonnes of CO2 emissions and, most importantly, an increase in Poland’s energy security. Cooperation with Alstom is another important step that will strengthen our position as a regional leader in hydrogen technologies,” said Daniel Obajtek, President of the PKN ORLEN Management Board.
Under the agreement, Alstom will cooperate with PKN ORLEN in participating in proceedings organised by public rail transport operators. Alstom will be responsible for the supply of zero-emission trains powered by hydrogen fuel cells. In turn, PKN ORLEN will be responsible for the distribution, storage and supply of hydrogen fuel for these trains.
“One of the key elements of Alstom’s strategy is to have a positive impact on the climate and the environment. We have been using hydrogen technology in railway transport for years and we are the first company in the world to start commercial passenger transport with hydrogen trains, which are completely emission-free and, what is important, partly produced in Poland.” Sławomir Cyza, President and Managing Director of Alstom in Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic States.
“We are consistently developing alternative energy sources, including hydrogen. This is the fuel of the future that will drive the energy transition in the long term. We have strong competences in this area, backed by experience. Cooperation with Alstom will enable us to implement pilot hydrogen projects in public rail transport and strengthen our position in Poland and the whole Central European region,” said Józef Węgrecki, PKN ORLEN Management Board Member for Operations.
“One of the key elements of Alstom’s strategy is to have a positive impact on the climate and the environment. We have been using hydrogen technology in railway transport for years and we are the first company in the world to start commercial passenger transport with hydrogen trains, which are completely emission-free and, what is important, partly produced in Poland. We were the first to introduce high-speed trains to Poland – 20 Pendolino trains. I hope that Alstom will also be the first to introduce hydrogen trains to Poland. The signing of today’s agreement with PKN ORLEN is another step towards the transformation of the Polish railway with the use of state-of-the-art global technologies,” said Sławomir Cyza, President and Managing Director of Alstom in Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic States.
“Alstom is a pioneer in developing hydrogen technology for rail transport. In 2018, we were the world’s first manufacturer to put the Coradia iLint hydrogen train into commercial service. Cooperation with PKN ORLEN will allow us to more effectively realise our ambition of technological leadership in rail transport, as well as Poland’s ambition as one of the key countries where hydrogen technologies are being developed and implemented. The main motivation for working on hydrogen technologies is the need to look for emission-free energy sources, also in transport. Increasing zero-emission rail traffic means less pollution and lower CO2 emissions,” said Artur Fryczkowski, Vice-President and Head of Sales and Business Development of Alstom in Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic States.
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