Symbiosis of Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen at the Regional Level: The Example of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship in Poland

Abstract

Both the energy sector transition processes and the industry transformation processes should in the future be based on the use of green hydrogen (GH) obtained using renewable energy sources (RES). It is the symbiosis of RES and GH that will allow for a sustainable energy transformation of the entire economy. The calculated amount of RES in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship (Poland) is 18 TWh—this would provide 4.2 billion m3 (under normal conditions) (0.38 million tons) of GH. The amount of GH produced from RES surpluses in the voivodeship is about 30% of the current production of GH from fossil fuels in Poland. The calculated GH would power 2.64 million cars. The Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship has numerous salt caverns where GH can be stored. The most important barrier in the context of GH production remains the effective construction of a hydrogen economy chain, which requires a simultaneous costly transformation of the supply and demand sides. In order to implement GH technology, it is necessary to reduce the costs associated with its production, storage and transmission.