During the 34th International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO 2026 at Targi Kielce, PHU Lechmar organized a two-part conference devoted to the role of hydrogen, fuel cells, synthetic fuels and new energy infrastructure models in strengthening the resilience of the armed forces. The sessions, held on 8 and 10 September, were moderated by Żaneta Kłostowska and Gen. Grzegorz Grodzki.
Photos: PHU Lechmar
Energy as an operational capability
The starting point for both sessions was the premise that energy does not merely support military capabilities, but is one of the conditions for sustaining them. Modern reconnaissance, communications and command systems, drones, robots, microgrids and base infrastructure all require stable and resilient power supplies. At the same time, concentrating fuel production, imports, storage and distribution in a limited number of nodes can increase the vulnerability of the entire system to disruption and hostile action.
The experience of the war in Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of decentralization, redundancy and reducing dependence on long logistics chains. Every fuel delivery to a forward base or unit requires personnel, vehicles and infrastructure, thereby increasing the exposure of the logistics system. For this reason, solutions that make it possible to generate, store and convert energy closer to the point of use are becoming increasingly important.
“National resilience can no longer be measured solely by the size of accumulated fuel reserves. Equally important is the ability to generate energy locally, store and convert it, and use different energy carriers. The more distributed and flexible the system is, the harder it is to deprive it of operational capability,” said Żaneta Kłostowska.
“Ukraine has shown us that today’s war is also being fought over access to energy, not only over territory. Every fuel convoy is a logistics asset that has to be protected. Reducing the number of deliveries and enabling partial on-site energy generation increases the operational resilience of units,” said Gen. Grzegorz Grodzki.
From technology to a multi-fuel energy architecture
The experts presented the concept of a multi-fuel energy architecture in which technologies are selected according to the nature of the mission, required autonomy, available resources and existing infrastructure. In this model, hydrogen is one element of a broader system that also includes electricity, battery energy storage, conventional and synthetic fuels, and hydrogen-derived energy carriers.
The technology-focused part of the conference covered various methods of hydrogen production, storage and transport, as well as the potential use of hydrogen in energy conversion processes and as a feedstock for the production of fuels and other energy carriers. Power-to-X (PtX) ecosystems were also presented, covering the conversion of energy and hydrogen into end products tailored to the needs of individual sectors and users.
The discussion addressed not only the parameters of individual technologies, but the entire value chain: access to energy and raw materials, production, storage, transport, distribution, conversion, security, operation and end use. It was emphasized that the actual utility of a solution for the defense sector depends on its ability to function with limited infrastructure, disrupted supplies and the need to rapidly restore capabilities.
In such a system, hydrogen can serve a range of functions: as an energy storage medium, a fuel for fuel cells, a feedstock or an element of a local energy hub. Depending on the mission, it can work alongside batteries and renewable energy sources, or serve as a feedstock for the production of other energy carriers. The key, therefore, is not to identify a single target technology, but to combine multiple solutions into one resilient architecture.
Video: PHU Lechmar
Adapting existing infrastructure and retrofit
An important element of the discussion was the possibility of using and adapting existing energy, fuel, transport and logistics infrastructure. Transformation does not necessarily mean building an entirely new system from scratch. In many cases, new technologies can be integrated with existing storage facilities, terminals, distribution installations, port, rail and airport infrastructure, as well as local energy systems.
Each such adaptation, however, requires an individual assessment of material compatibility, operating parameters, process safety, fire and explosion protection requirements, and compliance with applicable regulations and standards. In practice, some assets may be reused after relatively limited modernization, others will require extensive retrofit, while some will need to be replaced entirely.
Retrofit on the end-user side is equally important. Instead of replacing entire platforms, vehicles, generators or power systems, it may be possible — depending on the application — to modernize selected fuel, propulsion and energy systems and integrate new power sources with existing equipment. This applies, among other areas, to generator sets, base infrastructure, selected rail and maritime applications, auxiliary systems and logistics.
“In practice, we need to move from asking: what new technology should we build?, to asking: which existing assets can we use, which require modernization, and which need to be replaced?” conference participants emphasized.
Such an approach can reduce capital expenditure, shorten implementation time and make use of existing expertise and logistics chains. In the defense sector, it is particularly important because it allows energy resilience to be increased gradually without making operational capabilities dependent on a single fuel or technology.
Dual-use infrastructure and the Polish context
The experts also related the proposed architecture to Polish conditions. The development of publicly accessible hydrogen refueling infrastructure in Poland is still at the stage of building scale, and future investments should be increasingly linked to actual demand, transport corridors and key logistics hubs. Locations combining several modes of transport and different types of users may be particularly important.
The EU framework for the development of alternative fuels infrastructure reinforces the need to move from isolated projects toward a coherent network. In the case of hydrogen, this means developing infrastructure in connection with heavy transport, public transportation, logistics, railways, ports and airports. From the perspective of national security, such a model also creates opportunities for the development of dual-use infrastructure.
“Hydrogen infrastructure should not be developed in silos. Its value increases when the same hub can serve transport, port operations or an airport, while also supporting the security and defense system in a crisis. This is the logic of dual use — we are investing not only in fuel infrastructure, but in national resilience,” Żaneta Kłostowska said.
The dual-use model can improve the economics of investment, increase infrastructure utilization and reduce the risk of creating assets dedicated to a single application. At the same time, it requires security requirements, fuel availability, supply redundancy, interoperability and the ability to rapidly scale up capacity in a crisis to be taken into account from the outset.
Video: PHU Lechmar
The role of industry and the path to implementation
Conference participants emphasized that moving from the concept of a multi-fuel architecture to its practical implementation requires close cooperation between the armed forces, research institutions and technology providers. A key element of this process is field testing and certification of solutions under conditions resembling real-world operations, rather than exclusively in laboratory environments.
Attention was also drawn to the need to standardize interfaces and energy exchange protocols between different energy carriers so that new systems can work with existing equipment without requiring the costly replacement of entire platforms. Open standards and flexible architectures are becoming increasingly important in this context, as they allow additional technologies to be incorporated gradually as the market and available infrastructure mature.
Another important topic was total cost of ownership and the life cycle of new energy systems. Alternative solutions may involve higher acquisition costs, but lower operating, fuel logistics and combat readiness sustainment costs over the longer term. These factors should therefore be taken into account at the procurement planning stage, rather than only after deployment.
The experts agreed that the choice of a specific technology should not be driven by market trends, but by an analysis of the specific operational scenario — the mission, location, available infrastructure, and requirements relating to reliability and response time.
“The implementation of new energy technologies in the military is a process, not a one-time equipment purchase. It requires joint planning with industry, testing under field conditions and building confidence in the reliability of these solutions,” Gen. Grzegorz Grodzki emphasized.
Not one fuel, but a resilient energy system
The main conclusion of the conference was the need to move away from thinking about hydrogen as a standalone fuel and instead view it as part of a distributed, redundant and multi-fuel energy architecture. Hydrogen does not replace other energy carriers — it complements them where its use can increase autonomy, flexibility and operational resilience.
In practice, the future energy system of the defense sector will combine different technologies: grid and locally generated electricity, battery energy storage, liquid fuels, hydrogen and fuel cells, depending on the application. The choice of solution should be determined by the mission profile, availability of infrastructure and fuel, security, interoperability and logistics.
PHU Lechmar announced that it will continue its involvement in the development of solutions aimed at strengthening energy and logistics resilience, as well as continue the expert cooperation initiated during both parts of the conference at MSPO 2026.
“I believe the coming years will bring a real acceleration in the use of hydrogen in the defense sector — not as a standalone technology, but as an element of a broader, resilient energy architecture. Our ambition is to support this transition and consistently develop the competencies that will enable Polish industry to become an active participant in this process rather than merely an observer,” said Karolina Siudyła, spokesperson for PHU Lechmar.
About PHU Lechmar
PHU Lechmar is a Polish company operating in the defense sector, supplying military equipment in support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and contributing to efforts to strengthen military logistics and energy resilience. The company is also consistently developing its capabilities in hydrogen technologies, taking part in shaping the future energy architecture of the defense sector.
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