In accordance with the government’s hydrogen plan, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is in negotiations with state transportation utilities in Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat to put up hydrogen producing units and refueling stations.
In addition, the firm has established a goal of switching at least 10% of its hydrogen use at refineries to green hydrogen in the near future.
The facility in Uttar Pradesh will be located near the Mathura refinery, while the one in Gujarat will be located near the Baroda refinery. In the beginning, the idea is to run 10-20 buses in both states, according to S S V Ramakumar, director of research and development at India’s largest state-owned refiner IOC, who spoke to the media in Chennai on Wednesday. He went on to say that the goal in Kerala is to build a stand-alone green hydrogen manufacturing unit from the solar power facility at Cochin International Airport.
Kochi is the world’s first entirely solar-powered airport, with a peak capacity of 40 megawatts, allowing it to produce about 160,000 units of electricity per day, compared to its daily usage of nearly 130,000 units. He explained, “The plan is to run hydrogen buses from Cochin airport to Thiruvananthapuram.”
He also stated that IOC has set a goal of switching 10% of its hydrogen consumption at refineries to green sources in the near future. By 2024, 10% of the energy used in the Mathura refinery will be transferred to green sources as a first step. At its annual general meeting in August, the firm declared that it may soon establish the nation’s first “Green Hydrogen” facility at the Mathura Refinery. The unit’s capacity is expected to be about 160,000 barrels per day.
This comes as the country considers a proposal to make green hydrogen use mandatory in fertilizer plants, oil refineries, and steel factories as part of a strategy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. According to reports, the government intends to make it necessary for certain districts to utilize green hydrogen to satisfy 0.15 percent of their total hydrogen needs by 2024. Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced by electrolysis with renewable energy. The hydrogen and oxygen in water are separated using an electrical current in this approach.
On the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, August 15, 2021, the National Hydrogen Mission was inaugurated. The mission is anticipated to assist India in meeting its climate goals as well as transforming the country into a green hydrogen center. At the moment, the country’s entire hydrogen generation is based on fossil fuels. “By 2030, we expect hydrogen output to have increased from 6 million metric tonnes (MMT) to about 12 MMT,” Ramakumar said.
Many big companies, including Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, Adani Group, and power giant NTPC, have already declared plans to develop hydrogen plants. According to Ambani, India is on track to become the world leader in hydrogen technology by being the first country to generate it for less than $1 per kilogram.
