GAIL seeks to procure India's largest Hydrogen electrolyser

GAIL (India) is in the process of procuring what could be the largest Hydrogen electrolyser in India. Speaking at the side lines of India Energy Forum by CERAWeek, GAIL Chairman Manoj Jain said that a global tender for the same has already been floated for the 10 MW electrolyser.

“The electrolyser will be deployed in the next 12 to 14 months,” Jain said adding that it may be deployed in Vijaipur, Madhya Pradesh, but the final location has not yet been decided. GAIL presently has a 400,000 tonnes per annum Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) plant in Vijaipur.

GAIL’s electrolyser will outmatch the 5 MW one that NTPC is seeking to set up. It is expected that the 10 MW electrolyser will generate 4.5 tonnes of green hydrogen in a day.

Incidentally, the world’s largest electrolyser is also of 10 MW. The Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R) uses a 20MW solar array, backed up by renewable power from the grid, to run a 10MW electrolyser at the site in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

A larger 24 MW Hydrogen electrolyser is being developed at the Leuna chemical complex in Germany. French oil major Total and utility Engie have also announced plans for 40 MW electrolyser to solar power in southern France. That plant is slated to be operational in 2024.

Jain also said that GAIL intends to enter Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) retailing for long haul vehicles.

“We as the industry will set up 20 LNG dispensing stations on the Golden Quadrilateral (highway network) by March 2022 and 500 to 600 outlets in three to four years...ultimately the target is to set up 1,000 LNG stations,” he said.

Responding to queries on the high cost of LNG in the international market and impact on consumers, Jain said, “Around 70% of the country’s imported LNG comes through long-term contracts so most major consumers such as fertiliser units and refiners have not faced too much difficulty.”

But the price surge affects consumption by natural gas-based power plants and also discourages potential users of gas to switch to the fuel, Jain added.