SJVN Inaugurates India’s First Green Hydrogen Pilot Project at Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station

SJVN Limited has marked a significant milestone with the inauguration of India’s inaugural Multi-purpose Green Hydrogen Pilot Project at its 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station (NJHPS) in Jhakri, Himachal Pradesh. This pioneering project, inaugurated by Chairperson and Managing Director Smt. Geeta Kapur on April 24, 2024, signifies a major leap towards advancing green hydrogen production infrastructure in the nation’s power sector.

Aligned with the National Green Hydrogen Mission of the Government of India, SJVN’s Green Hydrogen Pilot Project aims to produce 14 kilograms of green hydrogen daily during its 8-hour operational window. Utilizing an alkaline electrolyzer with a capacity of 20 Nm3/hour, the project will harness renewable energy from SJVN’s 1.31 MW Solar Power Plant in Wadhal, Shimla, to power its operations.

The green hydrogen generated will serve dual purposes. It will not only meet the combustion fuel requirements for the High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) Coating Facility of NJHPS but also generate electricity through a 25 kW fuel cell. Furthermore, the project’s hydrogen will be employed for the High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Coating of turbine underwater parts.

In conjunction with this achievement, SJVN also inaugurated the Centralized Operation of NJHPS and the 412 MW Rampur Hydro Power Station (Rampur HPS). This includes the remote operation of Unit-2 of Rampur HPS from the NJHPS Control Room, a feat made possible through a Tandem Operating System.

Smt. Kapur commended the collective efforts of teams at NJHPS, Rampur HPS, and SJVN’s Corporate Headquarters, underscoring the importance of continued diligence to fully operationalize Rampur HPS from NJHPS in the near future. Present at the event were key personnel including Shri Manoj Kumar, Head of Project (NJHPS), Shri Vikas Marwah, Head of Project (Rampur HPS), and Shri Harish Kumar Sharma, Head of Department (Electrical Design), alongside senior officials from NJHPS, Rampur HPS, and Corporate Headquarters.