RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group's CESC Projects Gets 10,500 MT Green Hydrogen Plant Contract

The Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) Projects, a subsidiary of CESC, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, has secured the contract to establish a Green Hydrogen Plant with an annual production capacity of 10,500 Metric Tons (MT).

The order was issued by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) through its notification dated 8 January 2024.

Also, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has been informed through Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.

Green hydrogen is a renewable form of energy that is produced by splitting water molecules from oxygen molecules using electricity from renewable sources.

According to the Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Power R.K. Singh, India has launched several pilot projects to promote green hydrogen production to achieve a capacity of 8 million tons by 2030. These projects are part of the ministry's research and development segment and are aimed at increasing the limited production of green hydrogen in the country.

In the year 2023, the Union Cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission to facilitate demand creation, production, utilisation and export of green hydrogen with an initial outlay of 197.4 billion (USD 2.39 billion).

In April 2022, Oil India, a Government of India enterprise, commissioned the pure green hydrogen pilot plant with an installed capacity of 10 kg per day at its Jorhat Pump Station in Assam. Similarly, in January 2023, NTPC and Gujarat Gas commissioned India's first green hydrogen blending project in the piped natural gas network of NTPC Kawas township of Surat in Gujarat.

Green hydrogen is seen as a cost-effective and eco-friendly substitute for the commonly used fossil fuels. In India, there has been a growing interest in green hydrogen among power generators and investors. Recently, Singh proposed that India is exploring the use of green hydrogen as a key factor in achieving the goal of 500 Giga Watt (GW) non-fossil capacity.