The European Commission said on Wednesday it had approved a EUR 158 million Polish measure to support Lotos Green H2, a special-purpose vehicle owned by energy giant PKN Orlen, in the production of renewable hydrogen to be used in refinery production processes.
The EU executive added that the measure "will contribute to the achievement of the EU Hydrogen Strategy and the European Green Deal targets, while helping end dependence on Russian fossil fuels and fast forward the green transition in line with the REPowerEU Plan."
It also said that the aid would take the form of a direct grant intended to support the installation of an electrolyser with a capacity of 100 MW as well as the construction of a "50 MW photovoltaic power plant and 20 MWh battery storage."
The electrolyser is expected to start operating in 2027 and "gradually increase its production up to 13,600 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year," according to the European Commission.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of competition policy, was quoted as saying that the Polish measure "will contribute to the greening of a very energy-intensive sector, in line with our commitment to transition to a net zero economy."
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Source: IAR, PAP, ec.europa.eu