India launched its first green hydrogen center earlier this month, with an estimated investment of $21.6 billion expected to develop 20 GW of renewable energy projects and produce 1,500 tons per day of green hydrogen and 7,500 TPD of green hydrogen derivatives such as green methanol, green urea. and sustainable aviation fuel.
The center, to be developed in the state of Andhra Pradesh, is being run by NTPC Green Energy Ltd., a subsidiary of national power utility NTPC Ltd., in partnership with the state-owned power utility. NTPC would support the center with India’s first dedicated transmission network, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on January 8.
The hub, seen as a key step towards India’s stated goal of 500 GW of non-fossil power capacity by 2030, is also expected to spur about $2.15 billion in related investment in Andhra Pradesh, said the prime minister. Another center is also set up in the state of Rajasthan to generate 25 GW of renewable energy under a federal-state agreement, with more details to be announced soon, including the release of about $46 million in government funds for the facilities of the center.
Green hydrogen and related derivative products would be produced in facilities powered by renewable energy, such as solar or wind, as opposed to so-called blue hydrogen that is produced with natural gas energy, with capture and storage technology of carbon
The first hub will be completed by 2027, and most of the second will be completed by 2032. The second will include the expansion of production facilities and the construction of chemical storage terminals, port infrastructure, substation of 7 GW and 80 million liters. daily desalination plant.
For the first hub, the national power utility is leasing 1,200 acres from state-owned Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corp. to build facilities for green hydrogen electrolyzers, fuel cell manufacturing, related ancillary industries, incubation, testing and export, including derivatives such as green ammonia and green methanol. The center’s location near the Visakhapatnam port will be an added advantage, officials said.
ENR has learned that an offer has been published for project management. The national power company’s green unit has also issued a global tender seeking bids from manufacturing companies to develop the production complex at Pudimadaka Industrial Park to include equipment and technology related to green hydrogen and its derivatives . No further details are known. With solar power a crucial component of the hydrogen hub, bids have been launched for related projects, including dedicated solar zone transmission lines.
Major contracts for the center have yet to be awarded, but Indian and global companies are expected to bid to participate in renewable energy technology, green hydrogen production and sustainable manufacturing processes, as well as environmental consulting.
It is believed that the Japanese Toyo Engineering Corp. is in talks with the national government for the purchase of green hydrogen produced at the center, with the industrial companies Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, based in South Korea, and with France’s Air Liquide, possible partners to import derivatives. Canada’s federal Pension Plan Investment Board, Malaysian conglomerate Petronas and public investment firm Brookfield are rumored investors.
