The root stone for one of the world’s largest and India’s first-ever green hydrogen microgrid projects was laid in Vishakhapatnam on December 30.
Green Hydrogen is formed by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen with the help of an electrolyzer powered by renewable energy sources like wind and solar. The fuel imports 85% of its oil and 53% of gas requirements, which is a game-changer for the energy security of India.
In order to promote clean fuels, India is considering making it compulsory for fertilizer plants and oil refineries to purchase green hydrogen.
NTPC said in a statement, “NTPC Ltd(National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) India’s largest integrated energy company has awarded the project of ‘Standalone Fuel-Cell based Micro-grid with hydrogen production using electrolyzer’ at NTPC Simhadri (Andhra Pradesh). This will be India’s first Green Hydrogen based Energy Storage Project and one of the world’s largest”.
How will the hydrogen be produced?
The hydrogen will be produced using an advanced 240 KW solid oxide electrolyzer by taking input power from the nearby floating solar project. It will be produced during sunshine hours from 5 PM to 7 AM and will be reserved at high pressure by a 50 KW solid oxide fuel cell. This will help study and deploy various microgrids in multiple off-grid and strategic locations of the country.
Decarbonizing Distant Areas
PM Modi, visions for becoming carbon neutral by 2070. The power ministry said, “It is a unique project for the country which would open doors for decarbonizing the far-flung areas of the country like Ladakh, Jammu, and Kashmir, etc, hitherto dependent on diesel generators”.
