India's NTPC invites EOI to begin 'hydrogen blending with natural gas' project

This pilot on hydrogen blending with natural gas will be the first of its kind in India.

National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)  Ltd. has invited a global "expression of interest" (EOI) to set up a pilot project on hydrogen blending with natural gas in city gas distribution network in India.

According to Energy Economic Times, this EOI follows the recent tenders floated by NTPC REL for a green hydrogen fuelling station at Leh and NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd. for procurement of Fuel Cell Buses. A dedicated 1.25-megawatt solar plant is also being set up at Leh by NTPC REL to power the hydrogen fuelling station.

The report said that this pilot on hydrogen blending with natural gas will be the first of its kind in India and would explore the viability of decarbonising India's natural gas grid.

NTPC, with its ambition of playing a key role in India's transition to the hydrogen economy, would later take this up at a commercial scale across India.

The successful execution of the pilot will also demonstrate the decarbonisation objective along with the import substitution aim under the government's "Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan."

NTPC is also keenly exploring the production of green ammonia to decarbonise the fertilizer industry and possibly fulfil the government's upcoming mandate of using a certain percentage of green hydrogen in the fertilizer and refinery sector.

Also, a detailed study on green methanol production at Ramagundam has been completed and the company is expected to make a final investment decision in the near future.