The Hydrogen Poland Association and the Hungarian Hydrogen Technology Association (HHTA) concluded a cooperation agreement in the field of low-emission hydrogen and green ammonia. On the same day in Tokyo, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi signed a comprehensive Poland–Japan strategic partnership agreement, in which hydrogen and ammonia technologies were identified as key to economic security.

 

The coincidence of dates is not accidental. It reflects coordinated actions by states transforming the experience of the March 2026 crisis into concrete strategic decisions

 

Background: the limits of tactical solutions

Since March 2026, the Strait of Hormuz has remained closed following the USA-Israel-Iran conflict. In February 2026, as much as 94.2% of Japan’s oil imports came from the Middle East, illustrating the scale of the shock.

 

Tokyo’s response was unprecedented. On March 16, Japan launched the largest release of strategic reserves in its history—80 million barrels, covering 15 days of demand from private reserves and one month from national reserves, while simultaneously reducing the private stockholding requirement from 70 to 55 days. On April 10, the government announced another release-equivalent to 20 days of consumption, starting in May. Prime Minister Takaichi declared that by May, Japan would secure more than half of its imports via routes bypassing Hormuz.

 

Strategic reserves-even among the largest in the world-are only a time buffer, not a structural solution. The latter lies in changing the energy carrier and its geographic origin. This defines the purpose of the April 15 agreements.

 

 

 

 

What the Warsaw-Budapest MoU includes

The agreement, signed by Aleksander Naumann (Hydrogen Poland) and Zoltán Butsi (HHTA), establishes a framework for regulatory and market cooperation.

 

Key priorities include:

 

Creating a legal framework for a European green ammonia supply chain

Developing and refining RFNBO (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin) regulations

Conditions for establishing a Regional Hydrogen Bank or an alternative OPEX support mechanism for renewable hydrogen production in Central Europe

The cooperation also includes the exchange of experience from pilot projects, coordination of positions on certification, and guarantees of origin.

 

What the Warsaw–Tokyo partnership includes

The agreement between Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi opens access for Poland to Japan’s mature ammonia technology ecosystem-from burners and boilers powered by green ammonia, through maritime logistics, to long-term contracting structures.

 

These are capabilities that Europe does not possess on a comparable scale, yet are crucial for import projects being developed in the Mediterranean basin and the Red Sea region, including the Gulf of Aqaba.

 

Source:  Fuel Cells Works