RIL, Tata Motors, IOCL to Be Key Bidders for Green Hydrogen Pilot Project: Report

April 12, 2024

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(Business Today) The pilot project will help identify operational issues and gaps in terms of technology readiness, regulations, implementation, infrastructure and supply chains. -- Reliance Industries (RIL), Tata Motors and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) are likely to be key bidders for the government’s pilot project for the use of green/grey hydrogen (H2) in the transport sector that is in line with the government’s aim to decarbonise the economy and reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports.

The government aims to make India a leader in technology and market in green hydrogen. According to a report in The Economic Times, the pilot project will help identify operational issues and gaps in terms of technology readiness, regulations, implementation, infrastructure and supply chains.

The bid for the Rs 496-crore, part of the National Green Hydrogen Mission launched in January 2023, opened in February, and closes on Thursday, the report added.

However, bidders must participate as a consortium or partners to ensure the entire value chain from making hydrogen and dispensing it to running vehicles, as per the report. The consortium should include a vehicle manufacturer, hydrogen fuel supplier distributor, as well as other partners.

As per the sources who told the daily, Reliance is partnering with Ashok Leyland, and Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, while Tata Motors is partnering with IOCL as a consortium. Ashok Leyland is also reportedly partnering with NTPC.

The H2 corridor project seeks to support the deployment of hydrogen-powered buses, trucks and cars in a phased manner. The successful bidder will be given funds to close the viability gap due to the higher cost of the hydrogen-powered vehicles in the initial years.

The learnings from the pilot project will eventually be used to help intercity buses, truck operators and private car users with the usage of hydrogen-powered vehicles and refueling technologies. READ MORE

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Topsoe is selected technology provider by Indian frontrunner in green ammonia, Hygenco (Topsoe)

Excerpt from Business Today: The Cabinet, on January 3, 2023, approved the mission to make India a global hub for the production, usage, and export of green hydrogen and to achieve its goal to become aatmanirbhar through clean energy -- India may not currently lead in global carbon emissions, but its carbon footprint is rising as it strives to develop, and is projected to peak during 2040-45, and decline thereafter. Considering India is a developing economy, the country has committed to achieve net zero by 2070. For this, the National Green Hydrogen Mission will play an important role, as highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address at the India Today Conclave 2024.

India’s emissions stem from pivotal sectors, with energy being the largest, as the country is reliant on coal for generating power. Even though there has been an increased focus on renewable energy from solar and wind, green hydrogen is believed to be the way forward. Green hydrogen is the hydrogen produced by splitting water by electrolysis using renewable energy. The carbon intensity ultimately depends on the carbon neutrality of the source of electricity (i.e., the more renewable energy there is in the electricity fuel mix, the “greener” the hydrogen produced).

The cabinet, on January 3, 2023, approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission to make India a global hub for the production, usage, and export of green hydrogen and to achieve its goal to become aatmanirbhar through clean energy. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has been steering the National Green Hydrogen Mission, to decarbonize the economy, reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, and enable India to assume technology and market leadership in green hydrogen. For this mission, the government announced an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore. Of the total, Rs 17,490 crore has been allocated to the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) programme, Rs 1,466 crore to pilot projects, Rs 400 crore to R&D, and Rs 388 crore to other components.

The mission aims for the development of green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 Million Metric Tonne (MMT) per annum with an associated renewable energy capacity addition of about 125 GW in the country.

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Besides these, other public sector undertakings (PSUs) have taken up various projects such as hydrogen-based Fuel-Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) buses in Leh by NTPC, hydrogen-based FCEV buses in Greater Noida by NTPC, Oil India Limited has developed a 60 kW capacity hydrogen fuel cell bus, which is a hybrid of an electric drive and a fuel cell, and demonstration pilot plants for production of Green Hydrogen through water electrolysis using solar power, biomass oxy steam gasification and CBG reforming for refuelling 15 no. of hydrogen fuel cell buses by Indian Oil.

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Private companies too have taken initiatives for adopting green hydrogen. Jindal Stainless had partnered with Hygenco India Private Limited to install a green hydrogen plant at its facility in Hisar, Haryana. Inaugurated recently, this plant will enable Jindal Stainless to considerably reduce its CO2 emissions by nearly 54,000 MT over the next 20 years. READ MORE

Excerpt from Topsoe:

Hygenco has chosen Topsoe as technology licensor for first phase of planned green ammonia complex with an installed capacity of 750 tons per day.
Topsoe will deliver its dynamic ammonia technology, a synthesis technology enabling the efficient conversion of green hydrogen to green ammonia, and will also deliver engineering design, proprietary hardware and catalysts for the plant.
Phase one is expected to be in operation by 2027.

Topsoe, a global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, has signed an agreement with developer Hygenco, to provide its dynamic ammonia technology for Hygenco’s upcoming green ammonia plant in Gopalpur, Odisha, India.

Hygenco will utilize Topsoe’s advanced dynamic green ammonia technology, allowing for flexible and efficient operations while optimizing overall performance. This technology will support Hygenco’s ambition of exporting green ammonia to European markets, aligning with the European Union’s Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) regulations.

Elena Scaltritti, Chief Commercial Officer at Topsoe, said:
“We look forward to working with Hygenco on this great project, as green ammonia plays a critical role in reducing greenhouse emissions from energy-intensive industries and long-distance transportation. On a global level, we need to deploy decarbonization at scale, and Hygenco’s project will be able to deliver a solid contribution.”

Amit Bansal, Co-Founder and CEO of Hygenco, said:
"As the world seeks innovative solutions to tackle pressing environmental and energy challenges, Hygenco is making significant progress in advancing the energy transition and decarbonization. We are excited to leverage the cutting-edge technology of a global leader like Topsoe to scale up green ammonia production effectively."

Ammonia – either in the form of low-carbon ammonia or as an e-fuel – is expected to play a critical role in the journey towards net zero: It can be transported using existing infrastructure; and it has multiple end-uses, not only as a fuel or hydrogen carrier but also to help decarbonize industrial processes like steel and cement production.

About the green ammonia plant

The plant is phase one of a three-phase projects at Tata Steel's Special Economic Zone Industrial Park (GIP) in Gopalpur, Odisha, India.
Phase one of the green ammonia project will have an installed capacity of 750 tons per day.
The plant is expected to be operational by 2027.

About Topsoe’s dynamic ammonia technology
Topsoe’s dynamic ammonia technology, DynAMMO™, adapts the production output of green ammonia in response to fluctuating supply of renewable electricity.

The dynamic ammonia process plant will enable: 1) the ramping up/down of the ammonia production bidirectionally at a rate of at least 3% per minute in response to the fluctuating supply of hydrogen to the ammonia plant; 2) significant reduction in capital expenditure and operational expenditure since hydrogen storage systems can be reduced substantially, or otherwise eliminated; 3) Renewable electricity to be stored in a zero-carbon chemical.

Green ammonia has the ideal characteristics to enable net zero because it can function both as a green fuel, an energy carrier and green fertilizer.

About Hygenco
Headquartered in Gurgaon, India, Hygenco develops and deploys scaled-up commercially attractive green hydrogen and green ammonia assets. Hygenco, which has deep capabilities in designing, building, and operating Green Hydrogen projects, has commissioned India’s first Green Hydrogen project in Hisar which was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel earlier this year. Hygenco is looking to invest $2.5 billion over 3 years to set up Green Hydrogen projects in India.

For more information on Hygenco, please visit https://www.hygenco.in/

About Topsoe
Topsoe is a leading global provider of technology and solutions for the energy transition. We combat climate change by helping our customers and partners achieve their decarbonization and emission reduction goals. 

Based on decades of scientific research and innovation, we offer world-leading solutions for transforming renewable resources into fuels and chemicals for a sustainable world, and for efficient and low-carbon fuel production and clean air.

We were founded in 1940 and are headquartered in Denmark, with over 2,800 employees serving customers all around the globe. To learn more, visit www.topsoe.com. READ MORE