India gets major push with first multi-purpose Green Hydrogen project

In a significant development, India’s first Multi-purpose (Combined Heat & Power) Green Hydrogen Pilot Project was recently inaugurated by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) at its 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station (NJHPS) in Jhakri, Himachal Pradesh.

SJVN’s CMD Geeta Kapur said the project is “poised to accelerate development of green hydrogen production infrastructure in the power sector, establishing green hydrogen as a clean energy source”.

As per an official statement, the green hydrogen that this project will generate will further be used for the High-Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) Coating Facility of NJHPS. It will be required to match the combustion fuel requirements. This will also help generate electricity via its fuel cell of 25kW capacity.

SJVN explained that the project will be producing hydrogen by splitting hydrogen and oxygen from water with the assistance of an alkaline electrolyser of 20Nm3/hr capacity by making use of renewable energy brought in from 1.31 MW Solar Power Plant of SJVN in Wadhal, Himachal Pradesh.

The Pilot Project aims to generate 14 kilograms of Green Hydrogen daily over an 8-hour operational period. This hydrogen will be stored in six storage tanks with a combined capacity of 12 cubic meters, maintaining a pressure of 30 bar. The produced green hydrogen will serve dual purposes: firstly, for HVOF Coating of turbine underwater parts, and secondly, for generating electricity via a 25 kW capacity Fuel Cell.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, SJVN said the project is in line with the government’s National Green Hydrogen Mission.

India envisions a future where it is self-reliant (Aatmanirbhar) through clean energy and serves as a beacon for the global transition towards clean energy. The objective of this mission is to put India on the map as a Global Hub for production, usage and export of Green Hydrogen and its by-products. As per the Indian government, the mission will drive substantial decarbonisation of the economy, decrease reliance on fossil fuel imports, and position India as a leader in both technology and market aspects of Green Hydrogen.