New Delhi: India’s refining sector is set to see a wider deployment of green hydrogen as the Centre moves ahead with projects aimed at replacing part of the fossil fuel-based hydrogen currently used in refinery operations.
The government has awarded a combined 30 kilo tonnes per annum (KTPA) of green hydrogen production capacity for four refineries under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said on 11 August.
The capacity has been awarded under Mode 2B of the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) programme, which supports green hydrogen production under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
Of the total capacity, 10 KTPA has been allocated for Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s Panipat refinery, while another 10 KTPA has been earmarked for Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) at Numaligarh.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited’s Bina refinery has been allocated 5 KTPA, while another 5 KTPA has been awarded for Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited’s Visakh refinery in Vizag.
Together, the four refinery projects account for the entire 30 KTPA green hydrogen production capacity awarded under SIGHT Mode 2B for the refinery sector.
The projects will be implemented under the Build Own Operate (BOO) model through private developers, according to the ministry.
Under this arrangement, the developers will be responsible for establishing and operating the green hydrogen production facilities. Investment requirements will be project-specific and will be borne by the respective project developers.
The allocation marks another step in the government’s effort to increase the use of green hydrogen in industrial sectors where conventional hydrogen produced using fossil fuels is currently consumed.
Refineries use hydrogen in several processes, including the treatment and upgrading of petroleum products. Replacing fossil-derived hydrogen with green hydrogen can help lower emissions associated with refinery operations.
The government expects increased domestic production and utilisation of green hydrogen to help reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and improve the country’s energy security.
It is also expected to support India’s broader clean-energy transition and its long-term net-zero objectives.
The projects are being taken up under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which seeks to develop India as a global hub for the production, use and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.
The SIGHT programme is one of the key components of the Mission and provides support for scaling up domestic green hydrogen production as well as electrolyser manufacturing.
The refinery-sector allocation includes two larger 10 KTPA projects at Panipat and Numaligarh and two 5 KTPA projects at Bina and Visakh, taking the combined capacity to 30 KTPA.
The information was provided by Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
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