The State Load Despatch Centre and Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Limited (TANTRANSCO) have been told to furnish details regarding plans for setting up green hydrogen plants and power requirements for them.
Green hydrogen is the hydrogen that is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity. Electrolysers are used for the process. Green hydrogen can also be used to produce green ammonia-based fertilisers.
The Southern Regional Load Despatch Centre has observed that green hydrogen/green ammonia plants are present in coastal areas as accessibility to port is required for them. Thoothukudi has been identified in Tamil Nadu, the Southern Regional Power Committee (SRPC) said in a communication. Electricity constitutes 60-70% of the cost of green hydrogen. Electrolysers consume huge amounts of power, it added.
As per the instruction from Central Electricity Authority, the SRPC has told transmission utilities in the region to furnish details regarding year-wise aggregate plans for installation of electrolyser (mega watt) plants to produce green hydrogen. It has also sought details about the type of electrolysis technology, locations for production of green hydrogen plants and the electricity requirement indicating the breakup of megawatt capacity, to be met from the Inter-State Transmission Network and the Intra-State Transmission Network.
A special meeting would be convened after the information is received from entities, the SRPC said.
Tamil Nadu is betting big on green hydrogen. Recently, the State cabinet cleared the proposal of Malaysian energy major Petronas, to invest about ₹34,000 crore in Thoothukudi to produce green hydrogen. Government officials said a lot of firms had shown interest in setting up green hydrogen plants in the State.
