Research and Prospects for the Development of Alternative Fuels in the Transport Sector in Poland: A Review

Abstract

The aim of this publication is to review the current state and possibilities of developing electromobility and alternative fuels in Poland. It was found that the current market for alternative fuels in Poland is insufficiently developed. At the end of 2019 in Poland, liquefied petroleum gas-powered cars accounted for approximately 3.3 million pieces, which amounts to 14.3% all passenger vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes of gross vehicle weight. There were over 9000 electric cars on the road, the share of which accounted for 0.04% of domestic passenger transport. The lack of a sufficient number of charging points, inhibiting the development of electromobility, was also noted. There were approximately 4000 (0.02%) passenger cars powered by compressed natural gas. Liquefied gas-powered vehicles were exclusively public transport vehicles or trucks. The share of biofuels in the Polish transport sector stands at 4%, while European Union requirements are at a level of 10%. Although there is huge potential for the use of hydrogen as an alternative to conventional transport fuels in Poland, just one hydrogen-powered vehicle has been registered in the country so far, with no filling station in existence for this fuel. The synthetic fuel sector is in the planning stage.