– ‘ This is the next industrial revolution’ – says Szczepan Ruman, the President of Świętokrzyskie Mines of Mineral Resources. A year ago, this company initiated the formation of Świętokrzyskie Hydrogen Cluster. – ‘We referred to the heritage of the Łaszczyński brothers, who used the electrolysis method in the municipality of Chęciny over a hundred years ago, which is crucial for the production of green hydrogen. At that time, they produced 100 kilograms of pure copper per day by electrolysis ‘– he mentions.
The aim of Central Hydrogen Cluster is to produce zero-emission energy and green hydrogen.
– ‘Now, during the energy crisis, we know how important it is to have access to energy at predictable, stable prices and access to zero-emission energy in the future. Green hydrogen is the fuel of the future, it will certainly power heavy transport, trucks, mining machinery. It will eliminate emissivity, eliminate carbon dioxide from these processes. This fuel will also power public transport in cities. Hydrogen buses will not pollute, but will purify the air in cities. We are looking at this future very optimistically’ – explains President Szczepan Ruman.
The members of Central Hydrogen Cluster are jointly committing to create zero-emission energy sources capable of producing 4 terawatt hours of energy per year and 250 megawatts of hydrogen electrolysers by 2030, which is expected to result in the production of 50,000 tons of clean hydrogen to power heavy equipment, trucks and public transport in cities. This is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 400,000 tons per year.
– ‘This idea is still alive, it is constantly developing. That is why we have transformed this Cluster into Central Hydrogen Cluster. We believe that companies from the former Central Industrial District can fit into this idea’ – says Szczepan Ruman. –’ This means creating another value chain, both the supply of components for hydrogen production and the production of hydrogen itself, or hydrogen buses, the whole electromobility. In this value chain, Polish companies can once again take a better place than before.’ – he specifies.
The cluster already brings together dozens of companies and institutions. At present, it has been joined by companies from Mielec. These are Energia Euro Park dealing with electricity trading in the Mielec economic zone, Euro-Eko which is a producer of alternative fuel from waste and Enervigo specializing in the area of electricity, heat and cooling production.
–’ This fits in with our vision of the company’s operations, which supports the green transformation. Moving away from fossil fuels is the basis of our business, and we’ve been doing this for years. We are introducing coal substitution – comments Radosław Swół, the President of Euro-Eko.
– ‘Hydrogen is the natural next step that ahead of us. Today we are writing a new history, we are building our future. Hydrogen is the future as a zero-emission fuel – assesses President Swół.
– ‘ We want to be an important part of Central Hydrogen Cluster. We want to make a technological contribution to the development of the cluster, we are talking about an intelligent energy management system, i.e. a technology developed in our company. The cluster itself is a great opportunity for us to develop our business – declares Krzysztof Kapinos, the Vice President of Enervigo.
– ‘ This technology intelligently manages generation sources based on predictive algorithms, by means of artificial intelligence. This makes the energy management system more optimal for end customers,’ explains Kapinos. Enervigo’s proposals offer customers the possibility to significant savings on energy costs.
The intimate ceremony of signing the declaration to join Łaszczyński Brothers Central Hydrogen Cluster was hosted by Energia Euro-Park. The event took place on September 21, 2022.
– ‘ We will bring the experience of the distribution network operator. This is a major contribution, since the Cluster needs someone to account and support the entities in it. We will bring experience in electricity sales, the long experience of our employees can waork today for the needs of the entire Central Hydrogen Cluster ‘– says Tomasz Tłusty, the President of Energia Euro-Park.
One of the results of the Hydrogen Cluster’s activities may be a new offer for the supply of electricity to companies from the Mielec economic zone.
– ‘ Already today, clean energy enters our network, our enterpries are supplied with clean energy. We are thinking of shortening the supply chain significantly, so that the energy for Mielec businesses comes directly from the Cluster. As a result, we will be able to offer better prices in part, because the cost of production will be a fixed cost, not based on exchange prices, related to the quotations of the commodity energy exchange’ – reports Tomasz Tłusty. It indicates that this is a perspective of several years, and now these activities have been initiated. – ‘ Someday we have to start this process. If we don’t, we will never have our own energy sources’ – he emphasizes.
– ‘ I am very pleased that dynamically developing Mielec companies have joined our cluster. These are three companies involved in the energy sector in the broadest sense and they can, together with us, build the value chain of the hydrogen economy, join the hydrogen economy, electromobility, zero-emission energy sources’ – adds Szczepan Ruman from Świętokrzyskie Mines of Mineral Resources.
Świętokrzyskie Hydrogen Cluster named after Łaszczyński Brothers was established on November 25, 2021. On July 5, 2022, it was transformed into Central Hydrogen Cluster.
Świętokrzyska Grupa Przemysłowa INDUSTRIA S.A. declares that it has the status of a large entrepreneur within the meaning of the provisions of the act of March 8, 2013 on preventing excessive delays in business transactions (Journal of Laws of 2013, item 403, as amended).