India's pioneering multi-purpose green hydrogen pilot project was inaugurated at the 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station (NJHPS) in Jhakri, Himachal Pradesh, on Wednesday (18 April).

This significant milestone was announced by officials from Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN).

Geeta Kapur, the chairperson and managing director of SJVN, inaugurated the green hydrogen pilot project, which includes a 20Nm3/hr electrolyzer and a 25kW fuel cell capacity.

This innovative project marks the country's first combined heat and power green hydrogen generation plant. It not only aims to generate electricity through its 25kW fuel cell but also caters to the high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) coating facility of NJHPS.

The green hydrogen will be produced by splitting hydrogen and oxygen from water using a 20Nm3/hr alkaline electrolyzer. This process will harness renewable energy from SJVN's 1.31 MW solar power plant located in Wadhal, Himachal Pradesh, reports Economic Times.

The carbon footprint of this process hinges on the carbon neutrality of the electricity source. In simpler terms, the more renewable energy in the electricity mix, the greener the produced hydrogen becomes.

During its eight-hour operation, the pilot project is projected to produce 14 Kg of green hydrogen daily, which will be stored in six storage tanks. This green hydrogen will be used for the HVOF coating of turbine underwater parts and for generating electricity through its 25kW fuel cell.

Geeta Kapur highlighted the project's alignment with the National Green Hydrogen Mission of the Government of India.

"SJVN's Green Hydrogen Pilot Project is poised to accelerate the development of green hydrogen production infrastructure in the power sector, establishing green hydrogen as a clean energy source," she said.

In addition to inaugurating the green hydrogen pilot project, Kapur also launched the centralised operation of the 1,500 MW NJHPS and the 412 MW Rampur Hydro Power Station (RHPS). She remotely operated Unit-2 of RHPS from the NJHPS control room in Jhakri, marking another technological advancement in the hydro-power sector.

Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station (NJHPS)

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