Latest Hydrogen News India Aug'21

Latest Hydrogen News from India in August’21. All you need to know:

1. 4 GW Electrolyser Bid: Current cost of green hydrogen produced by electrolysis is estimated at around ₹350 per kg, the plan is to more than halve it to ₹160 per kg by 2029-30. India would be conducting competitive bids for green hydrogen in next 3-4 months to pave the road for viable usage of hydrogen as a fuel. India is looking at bids for 4000 MW of electrolysers capacity,
2. Gas pipeline company to generate hydrogen: In India, companies ranging from Reliance Industries to Indian Oil Corporation and NTPC have announced ambitious plans for generating hydrogen. GAIL too joins that list now.
3. Electrolyser Giga factory: Ohmium international has started 1/2 GW per year PEM electrolyser factory in Bangalore.
4. Green Ammonia: Acme Solar Holdings Ltd inked a land agreement to set up one of the world’ largest green ammonia projects at Special Economic Zone at Port of Duqm in Oman with a planned investment of $3.5 billion. Acme is also in the process of commissioning the world’s first integrated green hydrogen and green ammonia plant in Bikaner, India. Green hydrogen will be produced using 5 MWp, expandable to 10 MWp, from the solar plant.
5. Hydrogen from agricultural residue: Indian scientists from Sentient Labs – Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) have developed technology to generate hydrogen directly from agricultural residue. The technology developed by the team uses agricultural residue rich in cellulose and hemicellulose content – in likes of paddy, wheat, or maize residue. The process uses microbial culture for the direct generation of hydrogen from agricultural residues.
6. Compulsory use of Hydrogen: In India, oil refineries and fertiliser plants will be the first to face mandatory shares of renewable H₂ in their hydrogen consumption under draft plans sent for cabinet approval by power and renewable energy minister RK Singh.
7. Hydrogen Blending: NTPC Limited has floated a global Expression of Interest (EoI) to set up a Pilot Project on Hydrogen Blending with Natural Gas in City Gas Distribution (CGD) Network in India. The EoI follows the recent tenders floated by NTPC REL for green hydrogen fuelling station at Leh and NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN) for procurement of Fuel Cell Buses. A dedicated 1.25 MW Solar plant is also being set up at Leh by NTPC REL to power the hydrogen fuelling station.
8. Hydrogen Trains: The Indian Railways has invited bids for hydrogen fuel cell-based technology by retrofitting on the Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) in 89 km Sonipat-Jind section of Northern Railway.
9. Cooperation with Gulf countries: India should look at enhancing hydrogen cooperation with GCC countries, especially the front runners, i.e., Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman.