Reliance Green Hydrogen and Green Chemicals, L&T Energy, AM Green Ammonia, and Waaree Clean Energy Solutions were among nine companies to have won the tenders for setting up green hydrogen production facilities under the second tranche of Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Scheme, as per an order issued by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).
SECI, which operates as an implementing agency for renewable energy projects in the country, has issued letters of award to these firms amongst 14 bid for the tender. The other winners include Oriana Power Ltd, Matrix Gas and Renewables Ltd, GH2 Solar Private Ltd, Green Infra Renewable Energy Farms Private Ltd, and Suryadeep KA1 Project Private Ltd.
While L&T Energy, Green Infra Renewable Energy Farms, Waaree Clean Energy Solutions, and AM Green Ammonia have been awarded the highest annual capacity of 90,000 metric tonnes, Reliance Green Hydrogen has won a capacity of 49,000 metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually.
SECI allocated an incentive of Rs 513 crore to AM Green Ammonia and Rs 510.3 crore to Waaree Clean Energy Solutions, followed by Rs 437.4 crore to Green Infra.
The new and renewable energy ministry had invited bids for setting up of 450,000 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen capacities under the second tranche.
Typically, a green hydrogen facility of 100,000 tonnes of capacity requires an investment of around Rs 18,000-20,000 crore, as per analysts and industry players. This means the awarded companies are likely to invest around Rs 80,000 crore in setting up the projected green hydrogen capacity.
The government has allocated a total of Rs 2,238.59 crore as incentives under the second tranche of the scheme.
ReNew E-Fuels Private Limited, Ocior Energy India Private Limited, Nishal Enterprises Private Limited, ChemSepT Engineering Private Limited, and Avaada GreenH2 Private Limited were the other five companies who have placed their bids under the second tranche.
The Indian private sector is betting big on the renewable energy sector particularly in the production of green hydrogen with plans to set up huge capacities.
As per the bidding guidelines for tranche – II auction, the minimum bid under bucket-I (technology agnostic pathways) was 10,000 tonnes per year while the maximum bid was 90,000 tonnes per year. The minimum bid capacity in bucket-II (biomass based pathways) was 500 tonnes per year and the maximum capacity was 4,000 tonnes per year. The maximum capacity which a single bidder can be allotted in this tranche was 90,000 tonnes per year.
After the issuance of the Letter of Award (LoA), the bidder can choose to set up multiple projects to implement the allocated capacity.
Reliance Green Hydrogen and Green Chemicals Ltd, ACME Cleantech Solutions Private Ltd, Greenko ZeroC Private Ltd, Torrent Power, HHP Two Private Ltd, Welspun New Energy, CESC Projects Ltd, UPL Ltd, and JSW Neo Energy Ltd were the winners in the first tranche under the SIGHT scheme.
The government has put the cap for the financial incentive under the scheme at Rs 50 per kg in the first year of production, Rs 40 per kg in the second, and Rs 30 per kg in the last year.
The government had launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission in 2023 with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crores up to 2029-30 in order to boost domestic production of green hydrogen. This includes an outlay of Rs 17,490 crore for the SIGHT programme, Rs 1,466 crore for pilot projects, Rs 400 crore for R&D, and Rs 388 crore towards other mission components.
The mission envisages India’s green hydrogen production capacity to reach at least 5 million tonnes per annum, with an associated renewable energy capacity addition of about 125 GW by FY30.