India's first multi-purpose green hydrogen pilot project inaugurated

Energy Transition By 2030:  Located in Himachal Pradesh, country's first multi-purpose green hydrogen pilot project at 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station (NJHPS) was inaugurated on Wednesday, said according to Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) officials.

SJVN Chairman and Managing Director Geeta Kapur inaugurated a 20Nm3/hr electrolyzer and 25kW fuel cell capacity-based green hydrogen pilot project at Himachal's Jhakri, a statement said. The project is India's first multi-purpose (combined heat and power) green hydrogen generation plant with the capability to cater to the high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) coating facility of NJHPS to meet its combustion fuel requirements, in addition to generating electricity through its 25kW capacity fuel cell.

It will produce hydrogen gas by splitting hydrogen and oxygen from water with the help of an alkaline electrolyzer of 20Nm3/hr capacity by utilising renewable energy supplied from the 1.31 MW solar power plant of SJVN located in Wadhal, Himachal Pradesh.

The pilot project is set to produce 14 Kg of green hydrogen daily during eight hours of operation, which will be stored in 6 storage tanks. The green hydrogen will be utilised for HVOF coating of turbine underwater parts in addition to generating electricity through its 25kW capacity fuel cell, officials said.

"Aligned with the National Green Hydrogen Mission of the Government of India, SJVN's Green Hydrogen Pilot Project is poised to accelerate the development of green hydrogen production infrastructure in the power sector, establishing green hydrogen as a clean energy source," said Kapur.

Kapur also inaugurated the first-of-kind centralised operation of 1,500 MW NJHPS and 412 MW Rampur Hydro Power Station (RHPS) by remotely operating Unit-2 of RHPS from the NJHPS control room at Jhakri. 

(With PTI inputs)