SJVN inaugurates India’s first multi-purpose green hydrogen pilot project at NJHPS

Project poised to accelerate green hydrogen infrastructure, remote operation of hydro power stations inaugurated.

SJVN Limited has reached a significant milestone with the inauguration of India’s first Multi-purpose Green Hydrogen Pilot Project at SJVN’s 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station (NJHPS) in Jhakri, Himachal Pradesh. The project will produce green hydrogen, which will be used for the High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) Coating Facility of NJHPS to meet its combustion fuel needs. Additionally, it will generate electricity through its 25 kW capacity fuel cell.

The inauguration of the nation’s first Multi-purpose Green Hydrogen Generation Plant was carried out by Chairperson and Managing Director, Geeta Kapur. Speaking about the project, the Chairperson said, “Aligned with the National Green Hydrogen Mission of the Government of India, SJVN’s Green Hydrogen Pilot Project is poised to accelerate the development of green hydrogen production infrastructure in the power sector, thus establishing green hydrogen as a clean energy source.”

The state-of-the-art Green Hydrogen Pilot Project is set to produce 14 kilograms of Green Hydrogen daily during 8 hours of operation. The hydrogen produced will be stored at a pressure of 30 bars in six storage tanks, with a total storage capacity of 12 m3. The project will produce hydrogen using an alkaline electrolyser with a capacity of 20 Nm3/hour, powered by renewable energy supplied from SJVN’s 1.31 MW Solar Power Plant in Wadhal, Shimla. In addition to generating power, the green hydrogen will also be used for the High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Coating of turbine underwater parts.

During her visit, the SJVN Chairperson also inaugurated the first-of-its-kind Centralised Operation of the 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station (NJHPS) and 412 MW Rampur Hydro Power Station (Rampur HPS), remotely operating Unit-2 of Rampur HPS from NJHPS Control Room in Jhakri, Himachal Pradesh. Rampur HPS is being successfully operated on a Tandem Operating System with NJHPS. Kapur commended the dedicated efforts of the teams at NJHPS, Rampur HPS, and the Electrical Design Team at SJVN Corporate Headquarters for this achievement. She urged the employees to continue working diligently to realise the aim of being able to operate the entire Rampur HPS from NJHPS at the earliest. Head of Project (NJHPS), Manoj Kumar; Head of Project (Rampur HPS), Vikas Marwah; Head of Department (Electrical Design), Harish Kumar Sharma; and senior officials of NJHPS, Rampur HPS, and Corporate Headquarters were also present for the above events.