The Union Power Ministry issued an order statement on behalf of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited, a state-run power giant, stating that a project of fuel-cell-based Micro-grid, with hydrogen production using electrolyzer, in the NTPC guest house, has been awarded at Simhadri, near Vizag.
Vizag’s green hydrogen-based microgrid project will be India’s first and one of the world’s largest green hydrogen-based energy storage projects. It would also be beneficial for studying and installing several microgrids in various off-grid and important areas across the country, as well as a precursor to large-scale hydrogen energy storage projects.
Details about the Vizag Hydrogen Project:
The innovative 240 kW Solid Oxide Electrolyser will manufacture hydrogen at India’s first hydrogen-based microgrid project, with input power coming from a nearby floating solar plant. The hydrogen will be held at high pressure and powered by a 50 kW Solid Oxide Fuel Cell during daylight hours. The system will operate in a stand-alone mode from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m., according to the official announcement.
“This unique project configuration is designed in-house by NTPC,” the state-run power firm said in a statement. This one-of-a-kind initiative for India would pave the way for the decarbonisation of the country’s far-flung regions, such as Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), which were previously reliant on diesel generators. The project is in keeping with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s aim of becoming carbon-neutral by 2070 and transforming Ladakh into a carbon-neutral territory.”
The state-run power firm now has a capacity of 67,907.5 MW, which is split between 47 NTPC stations and 26 joint venture stations.
The decision to establish a green hydrogen project in Vizag coincides with the company’s shift to green energy. In FY21, NTPC Group made a net profit of $1.85 billion. It has also set a target of reducing net energy intensity by 10%.
