PGNiG announces plans to invest in hydrogen technologies

The state-owned Polish Oil and Gas Company (PGNiG) has launched a research and development project which aims to generate hydrogen through electrolysis from renewable energy sources, and then injecting it into gas storage facilities.

“The PGNiG Group has a long track record in the distribution, storage and use of natural gas. We also intend to become a leader in the development of hydrogen technologies in Poland,” announced Łukasz Kroplewski, vice president of the PGNiG management board.

“We are taking a long-term perspective,” added Mr Kroplewski. “Hydrogen is the future of the global energy sector. The only by-product of hydrogen combustion is steam, which makes it a truly green fuel. Burning a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen produces less emissions and is therefore more environmentally friendly and emission charges are lower.”

PGNiG have already done due diligence into the matter and have found that hydrogen-related projects hold the greatest growth potential for the entire group.

“We are already a member of the Polish Cluster of Hydrogen and Clean Coal Technologies. A technical competence centre for hydrogen has been established at the PGNiG Central Measurement and Testing Laboratory. We are also working on a document that would set out a comprehensive research and development programme for hydrogen technologies,” explains Dariusz Dzirba, head of research and development at PGNiG.

PGNiG will be working on the project, named ELIZA, with a group of partners which includes the Oil and Gas Institute.

In order to meet their goals, a dedicated research team will carry out reservoir testing and economic viability analyses for storing hydrogen in underground gas storage facilities.

“Gas storage facilities can be prepared for storing hydrogen. The purpose of ELIZA is to answer the question of how to mix natural gas with hydrogen in the most effective manner, so that it does not deteriorate in quality while being injected and then stored,” adds Grzegorz Rosłonek, head of the PGNiG Central Measurement and Testing Laboratory.