SJVN Limited has achieved a significant milestone with the inauguration of India’s first Multi-purpose Green Hydrogen Pilot Project at its 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station (NJHPS) in Jhakri, Himachal Pradesh. The inauguration ceremony, led by Chairperson and Managing Director Geeta Kapur on April 24, 2024, marks a significant step towards advancing clean energy solutions in India.
The innovative project is designed to produce green hydrogen, a clean and sustainable fuel, through electrolysis powered by renewable energy. The green hydrogen generated will serve dual purposes – meeting the combustion fuel requirements of NJHPS’s High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) Coating Facility and generating electricity through a 25 kW fuel cell.
CMD emphasized the project’s alignment with the National Green Hydrogen Mission of the Government of India, highlighting its potential to accelerate the development of green hydrogen production infrastructure in the power sector. She hailed the project as a crucial step towards establishing green hydrogen as a prominent clean energy source in the nation’s energy landscape.
The state-of-the-art Green Hydrogen Pilot Project boasts impressive specifications. Operating for 8 hours daily, it is set to produce 14 kilograms of green hydrogen, which will be stored in six storage tanks with a total capacity of 12 m3 at a pressure of 30 bars. The project utilizes an alkaline electrolyzer with a capacity of 20 Nm3/hour, powered by renewable energy sourced from SJVN’s 1.31 MW Solar Power Plant in Wadhal, Shimla.
Additionally, the green hydrogen will be utilized for the High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Coating of turbine underwater parts, further enhancing the project’s environmental sustainability and operational efficiency.
During the inauguration, she also inaugurated the Centralized Operation of NJHPS and Rampur Hydro Power Station (Rampur HPS), remotely operating Unit-2 of Rampur HPS from NJHPS Control Room in Jhakri, Himachal Pradesh. This signifies a significant achievement in streamlining operational processes and enhancing the efficiency of hydroelectric power stations.
