Orlen starts construction Poland’s first Bio-LNG refuelling network

Polish energy company Orlen, a member of the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine, has begun construction of the first part of a planned network of 21 stations for refuelling vehicles with liquefied biomethane (Bio-LNG).

The first station is due to open in the second half of 2026 in Płock, central Poland, where Orlen is headquartered. Initially, it will serve Orlen’s own fleet before being opened to external customers.

Orlen operates the largest network of petrol stations in the country. The company claims that major transport players are showing considerable interest in switching their fleets to Bio-LNG-powered vehicles, provided that filling stations are widely available.

Project details

The Płock site will serve as a pilot project and a model for further locations. It will have a tank capable of storing up to 23 tonnes of nitrogen-cooled Bio-LNG, along with safety and distribution systems.

Design work is underway on two additional stations, in Zgorzelec and Ostrów Wielkopolski, with construction expected to start soon.

“The construction of the first Bio-LNG station in Poland in Płock is the beginning of a larger change that will strongly support Orlen in its pursuit of becoming a leader in the green transformation in the fuel sector. I hope that the project will also serve as a model for other countries in the region”, — Orlen’s executive director for gas trading.

Biomethane and hydrogen energy

In July, Orlen announced that its subsidiary PGNiG BioEvolution was building Poland’s first biomethane plant with a Bio-LNG module. The project is expected to produce more than 7 million cubic metres of biomethane a year, to be converted into fuel for heavy goods vehicles. The investment costs are estimated at 180 million zloty (€43 million).

The developments are part of Orlen’s strategy, unveiled earlier this year, to have more than 25% of its fuel offering come from renewable sources within a decade.

The firm has also been investing in hydrogen energy projects. In June, it secured more than 1.7 billion zloty (€400 million) in grants from European Union funds for that purpose.

Orlen is also developing a network of hydrogen refuelling stations for buses, trucks and passenger vehicles. Thus, the company has already opened three public hydrogen filling stations in Poland. By the end of this decade, Orlen aims to have 111 hydrogen refuelling stations operating in Poland (57), the Czech Republic (28) and Slovakia (26).

Source: Notes From Poland