Kerala’s Kochi Green Hydrogen Valley project is a pioneering initiative aimed at making Kochi a hub for green hydrogen production. The total estimated capital expenditure for this project is ₹18,542 crore.
This includes ₹4,166 crore for building electrolyser and ammonia plants, and ₹12,687 crore for developing renewable energy sources.
Initial investments of ₹669 crore will be allocated for pilot projects. The project will also require an additional ₹5,130 crore during the scale-up phase, excluding renewable energy costs, as described in the Kochi Green Hydrogen Valley Roadmap.
The project is expected to need ₹731 crore in government funding. Of this, ₹45 crore is allocated for techno-commercial assessments, ₹351 crore for building transmission infrastructure, ₹264 crore for pipeline and refueling infrastructure, and ₹70 crore for offtake infrastructure.
The report estimates that subsidies totaling ₹1,055 crore for phase II and ₹2,908 crore for phase III will be required to address the viability gap for green hydrogen.
For hydrogen production, infrastructure, and transmission grid development, the total investments are ₹56 crore for hydrogen production, ₹669 crore for hydrogen and ammonia infrastructure development, and ₹5,130 crore for the three phases.
The capital expenditure for renewable energy development is ₹903 crore in phase I, ₹836 crore in phase II, and ₹10,948 crore in phase III. Notably, renewable energy for phase II could be either developed in Kerala or sourced from other Indian regions.
Phase I (2024-25) focuses on setting up green hydrogen clusters. Phase II (2026 to 2030) will implement green hydrogen technologies. Phase III (2030 to 2040) aims to scale up green hydrogen usage across industries.
Phase I will develop renewable energy for industrial electrification. Phase II will focus on renewable energy within the state and the deployment of electrolysers. Phase III will cover scaling up electrolysers, ammonia plants, and the broader hydrogen and ammonia infrastructure.
The demand for green hydrogen is expected across 10-12 sectors in Kerala, leading to a potential total demand of 120 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa), with an additional export demand of 40-100 ktpa.
