October 12, 2023 will go down in history as the day when a completely new chapter began for four regions: Świętokrzyskie, Łódź, southern Masovia and northern Podkarpacie. The founding members of the Central Hydrogen Valley signed association documents, thus establishing an initiative whose main goals are:
- investments in solar and wind renewable energy sources with a capacity of 2 GW;
- investments in electrolysers for hydrogen production with a capacity of 250 MW;
- replacing coal-fired power units with gas units ready for hydrogen co-combustion;
- energy transformation of the mining sector: hydrogen as a green fuel in heavy transport;
- development of hydrogen infrastructure in regions through hydrogen production, refueling stations, passenger and freight rail and urban transport,
- development of nuclear energy based on SMR technology.
The ceremony of establishing the Łaszczyński Brothers Central Hydrogen Valley gathered many distinguished guests, including: politicians, local government authorities, representatives of the world of science, entrepreneurs, athletes, artists and a wide range of various institutions interested in the topic of green energy transformation. Discussion panels in the formula of rotating tables, which were an event accompanying the establishment of the Łaszczyński Brothers Central Hydrogen Valley, met with great interest. Several dozen participants talked for two hours on topics related to the hydrogen economy, and individual tables were moderated by specialists:
- Large-scale hydrogen production – moderator Jakub Kupecki, Institute of Energy,
- Decarbonization of industry – moderator: Michał Niewiadomski, Energy Club,
- The role of renewable energy sources in hydrogen production – moderator: Jakub Zarazik, Jagiellonian Institute,
- SMR and hydrogen – moderator: Sophie Macfarlane-Smith, Rolls-Royce SMR.
The following aroused great interest among guests who came to the ceremony of establishing the Central Hydrogen Valley:
- a bus powered by a hydrogen cell from AUTOSAN,
- Toyota Mirai with hydrogen fuel cell system,
- exhibition stands with companies and institutions such as 𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗔 Połaniec, Pneumatics Production Center 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗔, 𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗩𝗢, 𝗜𝗦𝗞𝗥𝗔 Zakład Maszyn i Łożysk Młodych 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 High Pressure Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and BGK – Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego.
The main ceremony took place at 4:00 p.m. on the Big Stage in the building of the Kielce Cultural Center and the Kielce Dance Theater. The ceremony of establishing the Central Hydrogen Valley gathered many distinguished guests, including: politicians, local government authorities, representatives of the world of science, entrepreneurs, athletes, artists and a wide range of various institutions interested in the topic of green energy transformation. On behalf of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the congratulatory letter was read by MP Krzysztof Lipiec – member of the Council of Political Advisors to the Prime Minister, while on behalf of the Minister of Climate and Environment Anna Moskwa, MP Agata Wojtyszek spoke. Speeches along with thanks and expressions of intentions for fruitful cooperation in creating the Valley were delivered by, among others: president of ŚGP INDUSTRIA Szczepan Ruman and president of Valley Magdalena Szczukiewicz, and on behalf of the management board of the Industrial Development Agency, Szymon Płoński. October 12, 2023 was also the day when two new entities expressed their will to join the Central Hydrogen Valley – the Central Office of Measures, represented by its president, Professor Jacek Semaniak, and the Rolls-Royce SMR company, represented by Sophie Macfarlane-Smith.
