The first pilot point for hydrogen-powered cars in the ORLEN Group has been launched at a German station operating under the star brand in Mülheim. This is another stage in the implementation of the PKN ORLEN retail segment strategy, which takes into account global megatrends and aims to provide customers with the widest possible offer. The project partner is Air Liquide, a world leader in gases, technologies and services for industry.
Entering a new business area, in addition to benefits for customers, is intended to bring valuable experience for the future, which will help in the development of alternative fuel sales at stations in Poland. Due to its extensive experience and infrastructure, the company decided to conduct a pilot hydrogen refueling program on the German market.
– We are well aware of the dynamic changes taking place in the fuel market and in our entire environment. Obviously, they bring many challenges, but also opportunities that we want to seize. Introducing pilot programs for various technologies allows us to gain the necessary experience in the area of infrastructure, logistics, as well as the sales model or customer service. Thanks to this, we gain readiness to react quickly and meet the changing expectations of customers – said Zbigniew Leszczyński, Member of the Management Board for Sales at PKN ORLEN
According to experts, the advantage of hydrogen technology is primarily its environmental friendliness, the relatively long range of hydrogen-powered vehicles – up to about 500 km on a single tank – and the short refueling time.
As for the alternative fuels market, PKN ORLEN is also successfully testing solutions in the field of electromobility. As part of the cooperation with Tesla, electric car charging points for this manufacturer are operating at ORLEN Group stations: in Poland at the ORLEN station in Kostomłoty and in Katowice, on Murckowska Street, and in Germany, in the towns of Grimmen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Uckerfelde in Brandenburg.