A subsidiary of Norwegian energy company Greenstat, Greenstat Hydrogen India, and Ayana Renewable Power have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expedite the development of hydrogen technology development in India. The goal of the partnership is to collaborate on developing projects for green hydrogen production. In the Union Budget 2021, the India government announced its plan to launch the National Hydrogen Mission. In India, as well as globally, researchers are working to develop sustainable technologies for the production and use of hydrogen as an alternate power source.
Ayana currently has 2.2 GW of solar generating capacity under development or operating in different states across India. The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund owns Ayana Renewable Power Private Limited, which is based in Bangalore. Other owners include the CDC Group, the UK’s development financing organisation, and EverSource Capital’s managed green growth equity fund.
In August 2021, ACME, another Indian clean energy developer, signed an agreement to advance a 3.5 GW green hydrogen and green ammonia facility in Oman. The agreement was signed with Oman governments’ Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones. The deal entails an investment of $3.5 billion into the Special Economic Zone at Port of Duqm in central Oman. The integrated facility will produce 2,400 tons of green ammonia daily with an expected production of approximately 900,000 tons. The electrolysers at the facility will be powered by 3 GW of solar energy and 0.5 GW of wind energy. The plant would be developed in phases and the first phase is likely to be commissioned by end of 2022. When operational, it will export green ammonia to demand hubs like Europe and Asia.
In the same month the India’s Ministry of Power also proposed a uniform renewable purchase obligation (RPO) on distribution licensees, open access consumers and captive power consumers. The proposal has been issued under the Draft Electricity (promoting renewable energy through Green Energy Open Access) Rules, 2021. Under this, industries shall be allowed to meet their RPO by purchasing green hydrogen. The quantum of green hydrogen would be computed by considering the equivalence to the green hydrogen produced from one MW of electricity from the renewable sources or its multiple.
Meanwhile in August 2021, India’s state-owned power generation company NTPC limited invited global Expression of Interest to set up a pilot project on hydrogen blending with natural gas in city gas distribution network in India. The project is expected to be the first of its kind in India. It would assess the potential and viability of decarbonising India’s natural gas grid. On successful implementation of the pilot project, NTPC is expected to take it up at a commercial scale across India. This will foster India’s transition to a hydrogen economy.
