India to mandate green hydrogen use in refineries

India is setting an ambitious goal to require refineries and fertiliser plants to use a portion of green hydrogen, hinted by Indian junior oil minister Rameswar Teli.

Mr Teli, in his written response to MPs, hinted that India’s new hydrogen policy would require the use of green hydrogen to replace fossil fuels in refineries and fertiliser plants.

The Indian government has been promoting the use of hydrogen across various sectors. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy drafted the National Hydrogen Mission policy, which has now been undergoing ministerial consultation. India aims for a 10% green hydrogen demand in refiners by 2024.

Meanwhile, to achieve Green Railways and 2030 Zero Carbon Rail Mission, the Indian Railways Organisation of Alternative Fuels (IROAF) invites bids for Hydrogen Fuel Cell-based Train on the Indian Railways Network. Initially, the bids are invited for the 89 km Sonipat-Jind section of Northern Railway, where 2 DEMU rakes will be converted, and later, 2 Hybrid locos will be converted based on Hydrogen Fuel cell power movement.

Last month, IndianOil (Indian Oil Corporation Limited) announced building its first ‘Green Hydrogen’ plant at its Mathura refinery. IndianOil, which has a wind power project in Rajasthan, plans to use that power in the Mathura refinery to produce green hydrogen through electrolysis. Mathura has also proximity to TTZ (Taj Trapezium Zone).

IndianOil has been involved in several hydrogen-related projects. Under the HCNG experiment in Delhi, it converted 50 CNG BS-IV buses to run on HCNG fuel. Moreover, it would operate 15 fuel cell buses in the Delhi NCR region along with Tata Motors. It also collaborated with MoPNG for setting up around 1 tonne/day capacity pilot plants based on four innovative hydrogen production technologies. Recently, it signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with the Norwegian company Greenstat to set up a Centre of Excellence on Hydrogen (CoE-H) in India to accelerate a gradual transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.  It also aims to support hydrogen mobility by using surplus hydrogen from its Gujarat refinery through a hydrogen dispensing facility for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles, refuelling 25 buses per day with a ramp-up capability of up to 75 fuel cell buses daily.