POLICY & MARKET DEVELOPMENTS
- SECI Floats India’s Largest Green Ammonia Tender: SECI has issued a landmark tender under the SIGHT Scheme to procure 724,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually for 13 fertilizer plants, aiming to decarbonize India's fertilizer sector by replacing fossil fuel–based ammonia with renewable-powered production. The tender, first floated on June 7, 2024, with an initial bid deadline of June 26, 2025, has now been extended to June 30, 2025. SECI will act as the demand aggregator and will sign 10-year offtake agreements, offering Production-Linked Incentives of USD 0.10/kg, USD 0.083/kg, and USD 0.062/kg over the first three years totalling USD 179.32 million to support project viability. A Payment Security Mechanism is also in place to protect suppliers against payment delays, while an e-reverse auction model ensures transparent price discovery. With India consuming 17–19 million tonnes of ammonia annually—over half currently produced using imported natural gas—this initiative is expected to reduce import dependence, lower emissions (green hydrogen emits <2 kg CO₂/kg vs. 12 kg CO₂/kg for grey hydrogen), bolster energy security, decrease the trade deficit, and generate employment. Link
- India-EU Trade Talks Focus on GH2 Exports via Rotterdam and Antwerp Ports: India and the European Union are leveraging their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations to facilitate green hydrogen trade by targeting two key European gas hubs. According to Mr. SK Sarangi, Secretary in India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, talks include reducing import duties on green hydrogen and smoothing logistics for exports through the ports of Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Antwerp (Belgium). These discussions, held under the India‑EU Clean Energy and Climate Partnership (CECP), aim to support the EU’s Hydrogen Strategy and India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission. Link
- India Proposes Dual-Coloured Number Plates for Hydrogen Vehicles: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a draft notification on June 26, 2025, proposing a new color-coded number plate system for hydrogen-powered vehicles in India. The move aims to facilitate easy identification and promote the adoption of green mobility. As per the proposal, commercial hydrogen vehicles will have a number plate with a green upper half, blue lower half, and yellow lettering. Private hydrogen vehicles will feature the same dual-color scheme with white lettering, while hydrogen-powered rental cabs will have black on the upper half, blue on the lower half, and yellow figures. This initiative is in line with the government’s efforts to encourage clean fuel alternatives and mirrors the earlier policy of green plates for electric vehicles. The draft is currently open for stakeholder comments. Link , Link
- 13 R&D Plants Underway, PSU Refineries to Float More Tenders: India's green hydrogen push is gaining momentum with Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri confirming that nine R&D and demonstration plants are currently under construction and four have already been commissioned by IOCL, GAIL, HPCL, and BPCL. So far, tenders have been floated for 42 KTPA (kilo tonnes per annum) of green hydrogen capacity, and an additional 128 KTPA of tenders will be issued by PSU refineries based on outcomes from existing bids via initiatives estimated at USD 23 billion. The government’s efforts span the full value chain—production, transportation, storage, and application, reflecting a comprehensive strategy for green energy transition. Link
- MNRE Calls for Investment to Accelerate India’s Green Hydrogen Mission: At the CII International Business Conclave on Green Hydrogen, Minister of State for New & Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik urged global and domestic firms to invest in India’s green hydrogen ecosystem, highlighting its role in energy security and industrial competitiveness. He called for collaboration in R&D, infrastructure, and skill development. Under the SIGHT program, tenders have been issued for 42,000 TPA (tonnes per annum) of green hydrogen and 720,000 TPA of green ammonia. Partnerships with countries like the EU, Japan, and Germany are underway for offtake, certification, and infrastructure. Government officials and industry leaders emphasized the need for policy support, subsidies, and create long-term demand to scale the sector. Link
- GH2 Blending in Refining, Fertilisers Can Unlock 3 MMT Demand by 2030: Report: A joint report by CII, Bain & Company, and Rocky Mountain Institute titled “From Promise to Purchase: Unlocking India’s Green Hydrogen Demand”—launched at the CII Green Hydrogen Conclave—finds that blending green hydrogen into existing industrial processes in oil refining, fertiliser production, and PNG could create around 3 MMT of demand by 2030. Specifically, substituting up to 40% of hydrogen in refineries could unlock about 2 MMT, while a 20% blend in fertilisers could yield 0.9 MMT, and up to 0.1 MMT could come from PNG blending. The report further identifies demand opportunities in niche sectors like chemicals, glass, and ceramics (~0.07 MMT), along with public green-steel procurement (~0.6 MMT), and green exports—hydrogen, ammonia, and steel—for an additional 0.8–1.1 MMT. It suggests that unlockable demand across these channels would help India reach its 5 MMT production target by 2030, reinforcing the need for policy support such as blending mandates, long-term offtake contracts, carbon pricing, and low-cost financing. The report emphasizes that demand-side interventions—mainly blending green hydrogen into high-volume sectors, utilizing public procurement, and tapping export markets—are essential to turn India’s green hydrogen ambition into tangible scale and market readiness. Link
- India Eyes 40% Cut in Green Hydrogen Costs by 2025: India’s green hydrogen production costs are projected to fall by up to 40% by 2025, driven by supportive policies under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. A report by Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) states that government incentives like transmission waivers, low GST, and production-linked subsidies are reducing costs. Current prices around USD 4.64/kg may drop to USD 3.04–3.62/kg. However, further policy clarity and long-term demand visibility are essential for sustained growth. Link
- Alfanar Seeks Policy Clarity to Enter India Market: Saudi Arabia’s Alfanar Group is looking to enter India’s green hydrogen market while awaiting a more robust policy and regulatory framework. The company highlighted the absence of bankable offtake mechanisms for green hydrogen, unlike renewable energy projects which benefit from long-term power purchase agreements with entities like NTPC and SECI. Alfanar aims to leverage its global expertise from projects in Egypt and Chile to establish green hydrogen and ammonia facilities in India. The company currently operates 506.5 MW of wind capacity in Gujarat (with 50 MW under development) and has a 1.7 GW renewables portfolio across India, Spain, and Egypt. However, it flagged serious transmission constraints, noting that grid connectivity at CTU/PGCIL substations is unavailable until 2031. Link
- L&T Sets Up New Arm to Develop Green Hydrogen Projects: L&T has launched a wholly-owned subsidiary, Panipat Green Hydrogen Pvt Ltd, under its engineering-and-construction division, L&T Energy Green Tech Ltd, to spearhead the development of green hydrogen and green ammonia projects . The move aligns with India’s Central government initiatives such as the National Green Hydrogen Mission. L&T had previously acquired land in Kandla, Gujarat, specifically for setting up green hydrogen and ammonia facilities . Link
- Toyota Kirloskar Partners with Ohmium: Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has signed an MoU with Bengaluru-based Ohmium International to collaborate on integrated green-hydrogen power solutions in India. Under the agreement, Toyota will contribute its expertise in fuel-cell systems, system integration, and supply of PEM fuel-cell modules, while Ohmium will lead the design, development, and performance evaluation of modular PEM electrolyzer‑based microgrid prototypes. The initiative aims to explore scalable hydrogen-powered microgrids for applications such as data centers and remote or environmentally sensitive locations. It represents Toyota’s strategic shift to extend hydrogen technology beyond mobility building on its earlier Mirai FCEV trials and collaborations with Ashok Leyland and the Kerala government into stationary power infrastructure. Link
- Adani Commissions India’s First Off-Grid 5 MW Green Hydrogen Plant in Gujarat: Adani Group, through its clean energy arm Adani New Industries Limited (ANIL), has successfully commissioned India’s first off‑grid 5 MW green hydrogen pilot plant in Kutch, Gujarat. Fully powered by on-site solar energy and supported by a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), this facility operates independently of the main electricity grid. The plant features a fully automated, closed‑loop electrolyzer system that adapts dynamically to real‑time solar input, unlocking operational flexibility and addressing solar variability while maintaining efficiency and safety. Serving as a proof-of-concept, it precedes ANIL’s larger Green Hydrogen Hub planned in Mundra, Gujarat. Link
- NTPC Deploys India’s First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses in Ladakh: India’s NTPC Limited has handed over five hydrogen fuel cell buses to the Sindhu Infrastructure Development Corporation (SIDCO) in Leh, marking India’s first commercial deployment of hydrogen buses. These buses will operate on the world's highest-altitude motorable roads from a hydrogen fuelling station located at 11,562 ft, powered by a 1.7 MW solar plant. The closed-loop system dispenses hydrogen at 350 bar and is designed to function in sub-zero, high-altitude conditions. The project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 350 metric tonnes annually and produce around 230 metric tonnes of pure oxygen—equivalent to planting 13,000 trees. Link
- Greenzo Energy Secures USD 38 million Order from Oswal Energies: Greenzo Energy India Ltd. has secured a significant USD 38 million contract from Oswal Energies Ltd. to supply electrolysers and Balance of Plant (BoP) equipment for a 20 MW green hydrogen facility in Gujarat, with project execution planned under a build‑operate‑transfer (BOT) model. The scope includes Greenzo’s indigenously developed electrolysers and integrated BoP systems, while Oswal Energies will manage engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) activities. Link
- IH2A Secretariat Lead, Amrit Singh Deo, participated in a panel discussion and shared insights on how all stakeholders are working together to create a cost-effective ecosystem for the development of green hydrogen and what roles need to be played by the industry as well as government to move the needle at this critical juncture. The panel discussion was organised by Indian Chemical News as part of their flagship NextGen Chemicals & Petrochemicals Summit 2025, organised in Mumbai on June 18-19. Link