Himachal sets up North India’s first green hydrogen plant

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu laid the foundation stone for north India’s first 1-MW green hydrogen plant in Dabhota, Solan. Developed by HPPCL in collaboration with Oil India Limited at a cost of Rs 9.04 crore, the project aims for completion within a year.

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Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu laid the foundation stone for north India’s first 1-MW green hydrogen plant at Dabhota in Solan district on Wednesday. It’ll be developed by Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) in collaboration with Oil India Limited and is expected to cost Rs 9.04 crore. Sukhu instructed officials to complete it within a year.

Reaffirming Himachal Pradesh’s goal of becoming India’s first green energy state by March 2026, he highlighted the plant as a significant milestone in renewable energy development. “This initiative is a crucial step in the state’s efforts to establish itself as a leader in renewable energy and sustainability,” he stated.

The state government signed an MoU with Oil India Limited on April 26, 2023, to advance solar energy, green hydrogen, geothermal energy, and compressed biogas. Following a detailed assessment, a 4,000-square-metre land parcel in Dabhota was chosen for the plant.

The facility will generate hydrogen through electrolysis using renewable energy, with an alkaline potassium hydroxide solution as the electrolyte. This method significantly lowers greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to a cleaner energy ecosystem.

With a daily production capacity of 423 kilograms of green hydrogen, the plant will consume 13 litres of water per kilogram, sourced from underground reserves via tube wells. The process will require approximately 52.01 units of electricity per kilogram of hydrogen. Annually, the plant is expected to produce 1,54,395 kilograms of green hydrogen.