During the webinar “Accelerating international cooperation for the development of integrated hydrogen infrastructure from the perspective of the Baltic Sea Region”, participants discussed the key conditions necessary for the development of an integrated hydrogen market in the Baltic Sea Region, with particular focus on the role of Poland and the Pomorskie Voivodeship.
The main theme of the meeting was the need to accelerate international cooperation in the planning and development of hydrogen infrastructure. Renewable hydrogen will be produced where competitive renewable energy sources, low electricity prices and additional assets supporting Power-to-X projects — such as biogenic CO₂ — are available. At the same time, the greatest demand for hydrogen will be concentrated in industrial countries and regions, including Poland and Germany. This means that the future hydrogen market will require well-planned transmission, storage, port and distribution infrastructure.
The first part of the webinar focused on the hydrogen production potential of the Baltic Sea Region. Particular attention was paid to Finland, which, thanks to its significant renewable energy potential, relatively low electricity prices and access to biogenic CO₂, may become an important exporter of hydrogen and its derivatives, such as e-methanol, e-methane, e-ammonia and e-SAF. Examples of large-scale investment projects in individual countries were also presented.
The next thematic block addressed transmission infrastructure as the backbone of the future integrated hydrogen market. The most important planned hydrogen corridors in the region were discussed, including the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor, the Nordic Hydrogen Route and the Baltic Sea Hydrogen Collector. From the Polish perspective, it is particularly important that future cross-border corridors do not function solely as transit infrastructure, but are connected with local assets: ports, hydrogen storage facilities, industrial off-takers and regional distribution systems.
A significant part of the meeting was also devoted to supporting infrastructure that may enable market development before full-scale hydrogen pipelines are built. It was noted that large cross-border connections are likely to become available only around the mid-2030s. Therefore, transitional solutions are already needed today. These include seaports, local pipelines, transport of hydrogen and its derivatives by rail, sea or road, conversion and reconversion infrastructure, as well as hydrogen valleys.
In this context, Pomorskie may play a particularly important role. The region has assets that can contribute significantly to the development of the hydrogen market: the ports of Gdańsk and Gdynia, the refinery in Gdańsk, offshore wind potential, planned nuclear power generation, opportunities for the development of local distribution systems and the potential for hydrogen storage in salt caverns in the Kosakowo area. This combination of resources means that Pomorskie may serve not only as a local hydrogen market, but also as a regional hub integrating supply from the Nordic and Baltic countries with demand in Central Europe.
Another important conclusion from the webinar was that hydrogen storage may become one of the key elements reducing the risks associated with market development. Hydrogen production from renewable energy sources will be variable, while many industrial consumers require stable and continuous supplies. Salt caverns can serve as seasonal storage facilities, sources of flexibility, supply security mechanisms and balancing elements of the future hydrogen transmission system.
The final part of the webinar focused on administrative and regulatory barriers. Attention was drawn to the phenomenon of regulatory overhang, where market participants know that important regulations are planned, but do not yet know their final shape, implementation timeline or economic consequences. Such uncertainty delays investment decisions, makes it more difficult to conclude long-term off-take agreements, increases the cost of capital and deepens the “chicken-and-egg” problem between production, demand and infrastructure.
The role of local and regional authorities was also emphasised. Although local governments cannot independently solve all financial risks related to large-scale hydrogen infrastructure, they have a significant impact on implementation risk. They can support spatial planning, accelerate administrative procedures, coordinate infrastructure development with network operators, ports and industry, and build local social acceptance for new investments.
The main conclusion of the webinar was that the future hydrogen market in the Baltic Sea Region should be planned as a system, rather than as a collection of separate projects. Ports, salt caverns, local distribution, hydrogen valleys, conversion infrastructure and future cross-border pipelines should be treated as interconnected elements of one puzzle. Only such an approach will make it possible to reduce investment risk, accelerate market development and prepare the region to effectively use future hydrogen corridors.