Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has started bidding for constructing a green hydrogen plant and refuelling station at the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) in Kochi, Kerala. The facility will be designed to generate 100 standard cubic meters per hour (Nm3/hr) of green hydrogen via a 500-kW electrolyser system, with the potential for expansion up to 200 Nm3/h. It will include crucial components such as electrolysers, oxygen and hydrogen separators, synthesis towers, purification systems, compressors, storage cascades, dispensing units, and other auxiliary systems, along with the site's renewable energy and raw water connections.

The tender explicitly seeks bids for procuring the electrolyser system, ensuring a hydrogen generation capacity at 30 bar pressure with a minimum purity level of 99.998%. The system should be containerised and plug-and-play, encompass rectifiers, transformers, piping, valves, instruments, analysers, electrical systems, and automation employing a programmable logic controller.

Contractors must provide two years' worth of spares and undertake operational and maintenance responsibilities for five years post-commissioning within a delivery period of six months from the issuance of the acceptance letter. Tractebel Engineering Private Ltd will oversee the venture's design, engineering, and project management consultancy. This initiative aligns with recent efforts by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to launch pilot projects to leverage green hydrogen to decarbonise various sectors, including transport, steel, and shipping. MNRE has further outlined a framework to incentivise the annual production of 200,000 MT of green hydrogen.

In another development, Oil India had previously invited bids for establishing a 1 MW green hydrogen project in Himachal Pradesh, featuring a 17 Kg/hr generation capacity.