L&T to collaborate with McPhy for green hydrogen

L&T announced a tie-up with the French company McPhy, for technology for electrolyser manufacture, will be present in both segments of the green hydrogen ecosystem – electrolyser manufacturing and production of the gas.

But the company is starting its hydrogen innings with electrolyser manufacturing. The tie-up with McPhy is, for the present, only a technology service agreement, under which the French company would transfer the ‘pressurised alkaline electrolyser’ technology to L&T. A call on McPhy co-investing in electrolyser manufacture could be taken later.

The electrolyser plant will come up at L&T’s manufacturing hub at Hazira, Gujarat. The precise amount of investment into the plant is yet to be worked out, but will be a part of the ₹10,000-crore grand plan for L&T’s foray into green hydrogen.

The groundbreaking for the electrolyser plant could happen as early as in April. McPhy’s alkaline technology was more advanced, because it is a ‘pressurised’ electrolyser and therefore more energy efficient and can handle fluctuating power loads. The safety issues around the alkaline technology have all be considered and addressed.