GAIL to Set Up Green Hydrogen Plant at Guna in MP

GAIL (India Ltd) will construct India’s largest proton-exchange membrane (PEM), electrolyzer at Guna, Madhya Pradesh. It will produce green hydrogen by 2023. This is as part of its plan to increase its natural gas business with carbon free fuel.

India’s largest gas transporting, marketing and trading company stated that it had awarded the contract for the PEM-based project. It will produce approximately 4.3 tonnes of green hydrocarbon per day (about 10MW) and will be mixed with natural gas to supply industries.

Hydrogen is the latest buzzword for meeting the world’s energy requirements. There are three ways to make hydrogen: you can use coal gasification to create brown hydrogen, or natural gas methane to make blue hydrogen. You can also use renewable energy to generate hydrogen from water. Green hydrogen is the purest form of hydrogen, releasing zero carbon emissions.

GAIL has awarded a contract for the installation of one of the largest PEM electrodelyzers in India, in accordance with the National Hydrogen Mission. According to the statement, the project would be installed in GAIL’s Vijaipur Complex, Guna District of Madhya Pradesh. It would use renewable power.”

The project is designed to produce approximately 4.3 million tonnes of hydrogen per day (approximately ten megawatts) and a purity of 99.999 percent. It stated that the project was to be completed by November 2023. However, the company did not provide details about the project, nor the cost.

GAIL began India’s first-ever project to mix Hydrogen into the gas system in January. Avantika Gas Limited (AGL) is receiving Hydrogen-blended natural gas from GAIL’s joint venture with HPCL. This is a city gas distribution company (CGD), based in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

GAIL has succeeded to date in mixing up to 2 percent hydrogen in natural gas through the CGD network. It has a 10 MW capacity, which is the largest in the country. It is twice the size of that announced by NTPC, the state electricity producer.

Indian Oil Corp (IOC), has also announced plans for a green hydrogen plant to be built at its Mathura refinery.

GAIL can sell the hydrogen it plans to make to fertiliser units that, per government mandate, must use hydrogen for fuel. India’s largest gas-transporting company and its marketing arm are also exploring new avenues for growth, including using LNG in long-haul trucking.

India must increase gas consumption three-and-a half times to 600 million standard cubic metres per day in order to reach its goal of increasing natural gas’s share in the energy basket to 15% by 2030, from the current 6.2%.