The European Union has given Poland the green light for the launch of first hydrogen network operator of EU, paving the way for investment in infrastructure for the clean fuel.
On April 15, 2026, the state gas transmission operator of Poland, Gaz-System and the Polish energy ministry said that the European Commission has approved Gaz-System’s certification to also act as a hydrogen transmission network operator.
Hydrogen is seen as a key element of the green transition, providing a clean, flexible as well as a scalable way to cut emissions in sectors like transport and industry that are hard to decarbonise using only electricity.
The decision of launch of first hydrogen network operator of EU serves as a breakthrough for the energy market in the country, said Polish energy minister Miłosz Motyka, adding it provides a concrete tool that will help boost investment in this area and also strengthen the competitiveness of the Polish economy.
Gaz-System is the first company in Europe to start the certification process, his ministry said, putting Poland at the forefront of change and making it one of the leaders of the energy transition in Europe.
Poland remains one of the EU’s most emissions-intensive economies given its size, with heavy dependence on coal for electricity and one of the bloc’s lowest shares when it comes to electric vehicles.
But state energy giant Orlen has been slowly changing its focus from oil to greener alternatives. It opened its first public hydrogen refuelling station for cars and buses in 2024. It opened its fifth such facility in February this year.
Last year, Orlen got €400 million, equivalent to 1.7 billion zloty in EU funding for developing hydrogen projects. The company plans to build capacity to produce 0.9 gigawatts of hydrogen, mainly in Poland, by 2035.
Hydrogen cars are still rare due to the limited infrastructure, but several cities in Poland, including Poznań, Gdańsk and Płock have already introduced fleets of hydrogen-powered buses.
By the end of this decade, Orlen wants to operate 111 hydrogen fuelling stations in Poland (57), the Czech Republic (28) as well as Slovakia (26), putting it at the forefront of hydrogen infrastructure in the region.
Gaz-System does not yet have a hydrogen transmission network, but the company said in a statement that this is not an obstacle to granting it certification in the European Commission’s view, given the present phase of the hydrogen market’s development.
Certification goes on to confirms the compliance with EU rules requiring the separation of transmission system operators from energy production and sales activities, based on a positive assessment by the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators – ACER in March, 2026. The next steps will be Gaz-System’s submission of a ten-year network development plan and receipt of a final decision from Poland’s Energy Regulatory Office – URE.
The firm also said it hopes its certification will help future operators to plan, finance and construct hydrogen networks which is crucial for the rapid growth of this sector in Europe.