NTPC signs land lease for green hydrogen production facility in Visakhapatnam

The renewable energy arm of India’s largest integrated power company NTPC Limited has signed a Land Lease Agreement for setting up a green hydrogen production facility in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

The agreement has been signed between NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) and Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation. As per the agreement, an ‘Integrated Green Hydrogen Hub’ will be set up on 1,200 acres of land near Pudimadaka village of Atchutapuram Mandal in Visakhapatnam.

This is a major step taken by India’s leading power sector PSU to realize its green energy objectives, thereby contributing to the Government of India’s efforts towards energy transition. NTPC has ambitious plans of attaining 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by the year 2032. Currently, it has 3.4 GW of installed RE capacity and 22-plus GW under pipeline.

Integrated Green Hydrogen Hub

The Pudimadaka Green Hydrogen Hub aims to create a world-class ecosystem for technologies in the new energy paradigm, such as electrolyser and fuel cell manufacturing, related ancillary industries, and start-up, incubation, testing facilities, production and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives such as green ammonia and green methanol.

The project includes construction of India’s largest green hydrogen production facility (1,200 tons per day), which will enable further conversion of green hydrogen to derivatives such as green ammonia and green methanol, primarily catering to various export markets.

NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL)

NTPC is India’s largest Power Utility into the core business of power generation, with a total installed capacity of 74 GW including joint ventures and subsidiaries. As part of increasing its renewable energy portfolio, a fully owned subsidiary “NTPC Green Energy Limited” (NGEL) has been formed, which will take up Renewable Energy Parks and Projects including business in the area of Green Hydrogen, Energy Storage Technologies, and Round-the-Clock renewable energy power.

Green initiatives by NTPC

NTPC and Oil India Limited, the second-largest national oil and gas company collaborated for renewable energy in August 2023. The two PSUs signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore collaboration in the areas of renewable energy, green hydrogen and its derivatives, and decarbonization initiatives including through use of geothermal energy. A MoU was signed on 31st August in New Delhi, in the presence of CMD, NTPC Gurdeep Singh; CMD, OIL, Dr. Ranjit Rath; and their functional directors with an aim of facilitating sharing of knowledge and experience on upcoming decarbonization technologies such as carbon sequestration.

NTPC performed a trial run of intracity Hydrogen Buses in Leh in August, 2023. With the goal of making Ladakh Carbon-Neutral, NTPC is setting up Hydrogen Fuelling Station, Solar Plant and providing five Fuel Cell buses for operation on intracity routes of Leh.

National Green Hydrogen Mission

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing the National Green Hydrogen Mission, approved by the Union Cabinet on 4th January 2023, with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crores. The objective of the Mission is to make India the Global Hub for production, usage and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.