IndianOil to build India's first green hydrogen plant at Mathura Refinery

The firm is in the process of setting up one-tonne-per-day pilot plants based on four innovative hydrogen production technologies

Twesh Mishra | New Delhi Last Updated at August 27, 2021 

IndianOil is also in the process of setting up one-tonne per day capacity pilot plants based on four innovative hydrogen production technologies.

IndianOil plans to expand more into hydrogen technologies and develop India's first green hydrogen plant. This will be in addition to expanding existing crude oil refining capacity by 25 million tonnes per annum and more biofuel production plants.

Addressing shareholders at the company’s 62nd Annual General Meeting, IndianOil Chairman, Shrikant Madhav Vaidya said, "IndianOil will build the nation's first 'Green Hydrogen' plant at Mathura Refinery. While your Company has been working on various hydrogen production pathways, the current project at Mathura Refinery will be pioneering the introduction of green Hydrogen in India."

"IndianOil is intently pursuing ambitious plans for hydrogen production across various hues, including utilising renewable power to generate green hydrogen," he added.

Vaidya said that Hydrogen is a new age, emission free fuel that can be a game changer for the country that is among the top crude oil importing nations.

Pointing towards a recent hydrogen fuel cell experiment conducted in the national capital, Vaidya said, "Our Hydrogen CNG (HCNG) experiment in Delhi, wherein we converted 50 CNG BS-IV buses to run on HCNG fuel, has revealed significant benefits in reducing exhaust emissions and improving the fuel economy. With the bulk of the transportation fleet consisting of BS-IV compliant buses, this is a promising development for improving the air quality of our cities."

IndianOil is also in the process of setting up one-tonne per day capacity pilot plants based on four innovative hydrogen production technologies.

Vaidya said that IndianOil will also be operating 15 fuel cell buses in the Delhi-National Capital Region along with Tata Motors.

"We will also be seeding Hydrogen Mobility by commoditising the surplus quantities of Hydrogen available at the Gujarat refinery with a dispensing facility for Hydrogen powered buses," he said.

But hydrogen is not the only new fuel that IndianOil, the country's largest fuel refiner and crude oil importer is developing. There are also plans to expand biofuel manufacturing. "Strengthening our environmental stewardship, we are setting up a second (2G) and a third generation (3G) ethanol plant at Panipat Refinery. The 2G plant of 100 Kilolitre per day capacity will use rice straw to produce ethanol," Vaidya said.

He also said that India's rising fuel demand will require multiple options to be available.

"Forecasts by various agencies see Indian fuel demand climbing to 400-450 million tonnes by 2040 from the present 250 million tonnes. There is enough legroom for all forms of energy to co-exist," Vaidya said.

"To cater to that demand surge, we are aggressively rolling out new projects. These translate into refining capacity expansion of over 25 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA), including CPCL, and an investment commitment of close to Rs 1 trillion over the next 4 to 5 years," he said.

"To strengthen your Company's long-term future, we are focusing on optimally integrating current refining processes to yield more chemical products per barrel of oil. This will intensify Petrochemical and Lubricant integration leading to a diversified product portfolio and attain profit maximisation," he added.

Vaidya also highlighted integration projects such as the upcoming Styrene Monomer Project at Panipat or the Lube Integration Project at Gujarat Refinery that is expected to reduce India's import dependence.