On October 18, an agreement for scientific-technical cooperation was signed at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, and the Polish initiative for natural hydrogen, Geo-Hydrogen, was established.The agreement was signed during the Natural Hydrogen Day conference, which assembled a group of experts at AGH. The event provided an opportunity to discuss the key challenges related to the search for and implementation of hydrogen solutions.
The main tasks outlined in the agreement include conducting scientific research and research and development projects, identifying natural processes that lead to the formation of natural hydrogen accumulations and finding and exploiting hydrogen deposits in Poland. Moreover, the initiative involves actions aimed at the development of technologies related to the potential exploitation of these resources and identifying the economic conditions of their possible extraction. As part of educational and promotional activities, there are plans to organize internships for students, scientific conferences, and joint scientific and popular scientific publications.
The signatories aim to work together on scientific research, identifying areas to search for natural hydrogen deposits in Poland, and the development of technologies related to its potential exploitation.
During the Natural Hydrogen Day conference, which assembled experts at AGH and served as an opportunity to discuss the main challenges related to the search and implementation of hydrogen solutions, an agreement was signed outlining the directions of work in scientific research, the search for natural hydrogen deposits in Poland, and the development of technologies related their potential exploitation.
The main task within the initiative will be conducting scientific research and research and development projects, recognizing natural processes leading to the formation of natural hydrogen accumulations and searching for and providing access to hydrogen deposits in Poland. Moreover, the initiative involves actions aimed at the development of technologies related to the potential exploitation of these resources, as well as identifying the economic conditions for their extraction.
As part of educational and promotional activities, it is planned to organize internships for students, scientific conferences, and joint scientific and popular scientific publications.
Prof. Jerzy Lis, Rector of AGH in Krakow, explains: “Hydrogen, which plays a crucial role for the future of industry, economy, and energy, serving not only as an innovative source of energy but also as a chance for sustainable development, is the starting point for our joint initiative. In the context of the rapidly changing energy market, the development of hydrogen technologies is necessary to ensure energy stability and the competitiveness of the economy. Therefore, it is especially important to train students in this area – future engineers and scientists who will be leaders in energy transformation.”
Wiesław Prugar, Member of the Board for Upstream ORLEN S.A. noted: “The aim of ORLEN Group’s hydrogen strategy is to strengthen the corporation’s position throughout the entire value chain of the hydrogen economy – from production, through distribution, to the storage of renewable hydrogen, and its various industrial applications. The establishment of the Polish Initiative for Natural Hydrogen is expressing our commitment to all aspects of developing the domestic hydrogen market. The initiative also fits into the ORLEN Group’s policy of cooperation with the scientific community, which we have been implementing for many years. Together with outstanding Polish scientific and research centers, we want to develop scientific and technical cooperation and implement its results into business practice. In the field of hydrocarbon and other raw material exploration and extraction, we have been operating in Poland for several decades, therefore we have unique competences and rich experience to take on new, demanding challenges. The added value of the initiative will be joint educational and promotional activities related to the hydrogen economy.”
Prof. Krzysztof Szamałek, Director of the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute adds: “Searching for hydrogen accumulations in the Earth’s crust, that is, deposits of geological or natural hydrogen, is a challenge that the Polish Geological Institute – PIB, serving as the state geological service, has been taking up for almost two years. We are trying to identify which geological horizons, rock formations, are most prospective for the occurrence of natural hydrogen in Poland, and what are the chances of discovering and economically utilizing these deposits. This is important not only from the point of view of the energy transformation of our country’s economy, but natural hydrogen – its genesis, sources, or forms of occurrence, is also a fascinating issue for the scientific world. It is a completely new direction in geological research, which we will develop together with partners of the agreement signed today as part of the Polish Initiative for Natural Hydrogen. Perhaps soon we will be able to answer the most important question currently: to what extent will hydrogen exploited similarly to natural gas deposits cover the country’s demand for this raw material?”
Dr Magdalena Wdowin, a professor at the institute and acting director of the Institute of Mineral and Energy Economy of the Polish Academy of Sciences, quoted the motto: “White hydrogen – clean energy for a sustainable future”, adding: “This raw material, obtained naturally, has the potential to become one of the key sources of energy, supporting sustainable development and the fight against the climate crisis. In the face of energy and climate transformation, diversification of energy sources is indispensable, so searching for white hydrogen deposits is a necessary and extremely important initiative. I am glad that the Institute of Mineral and Energy Economy of the Polish Academy of Sciences has the appropriate competences to actively participate in these searches. I believe that as part of such a prestigious consortium, thanks to our more than thirty years of experience in documenting deposits, economy, and geology, we can make a significant contribution to the development of knowledge and the direction of actions that will enable the assessment of natural energy resources and their diversification. This, in turn, will build trust of prosumers and ensure the country’s energy security.”
The signatories of the agreement are: AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute, the Institute of Mineral and Energy Economy of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and ORLEN S.A. On the AGH side, the agreement will be implemented by the Department of Energy Resources of the Faculty of Geology, Geophysics, and Environmental Protection.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/polska-inicjatywa-na-rzecz-naturalnego-wodoru-w-agh-podpisano-porozumienie-60545
