The Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, announced on Friday that India’s state-owned oil companies are working on big green hydrogen projects. They have already started tenders (bids) to produce 42 kilotonnes of green hydrogen every year, and they will soon invite tenders for another 128 kilotonnes.
The total cost for these projects is expected to be around ₹2 trillion (₹2 lakh crore).
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The minister shared on social media that nine research and demonstration plants are being built, and four have already started working. These are run by companies like Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), Gail India, Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL), and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL).
He explained that these green hydrogen projects are important for India’s move towards cleaner energy. The discussion with many experts covered all parts of the green hydrogen sector, including how it is made, transported, stored, and used.
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Green hydrogen is made using renewable energy and can replace hydrogen made from fossil fuels. This is helpful for industries like petroleum refining, fertilizer production, and steel manufacturing. Right now, India uses about 5 million tonnes of hydrogen every year, mostly made from fossil fuels.
Recently, IOCL set the cost for a big green hydrogen plant at its Panipat refinery. This plant will produce 10,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually and is expected to start by December 2027. The green hydrogen will help reduce pollution by replacing fossil fuel-based hydrogen.
In April, BPCL started a smaller green hydrogen plant at its Bina refinery in Madhya Pradesh. This plant will produce around 780 tonnes of green hydrogen each year.
