Hydrogen buses in Poland: Where did it all go wrong?

Report    |    18 May 2026

In Poland, hydrogen-powered public transport – including refuelling stations and hydrogen production projects for transport – has been established almost exclusively through substantial public funding. However, projects that have already been suspended, cancelled or failed for financial reasons raise questions about whether the sector can survive in a market-driven environment.

The main aim of this report is to highlight the major issues faced by Polish local authorities and public transport operators that have adopted hydrogen-powered buses as part of their decarbonisation efforts, and are now struggling with prohibitive costs, fuel unavailability and challenges caused by market immaturity.

The publication presents several case studies from Poland and offers recommendations on how to avoid the costly mistakes observed in the development of hydrogen-based public transport in Poland.