IOC to set up green hydrogen plants at all refineries

01 Mar 2023 CW Team

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is restructuring its business with a greater emphasis on petrochemicals to hedge fuel volatility, while also transforming petrol pumps into energy outlets that offer EV charging points and battery swapping options in addition to conventional fuels as it seeks to become future-ready, he said.

The company plans to increase its refining capacity from 81.2 million tonnes to 106.7 million tonnes per year as India's oil consumption rises from 5.1 million barrels per day to 7-7.2 million bpd by 2030 and 9 million bpd by 2040.

Hydrogen, the cleanest known fuel that emits just oxygen and water when burned, is being hailed as the fuel of the future, but its higher cost than alternative fuels currently limits its use in businesses. Refineries that convert crude oil into fuels like gasoline and diesel use hydrogen to reduce the sulphur content in diesel fuel.

Nowadays, this hydrogen is created utilising fossil fuels such as natural gas. IOC intends to split water using electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar to produce green hydrogen. Vaidya stated that the corporation will invest Rs 20 billion to build a 7,000 tonne per year green hydrogen production facility at its Panipat oil refinery by 2025.

"We're starting with Panipat, but all refineries will eventually have green hydrogen units," he said. This contributes to the company's goal of reaching net-zero emissions from operations by 2046. "We intend to invest more than Rs 2 trillion in order to attain net zero," he said.

These investments encompass setting up green hydrogen facilities at refineries, enhancing efficiency, renewable energy capacity addition and alternate fuels. IOC's current annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily from refining operations, are 21.5 million tonne carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e). After accounting for planned expansions and the emissions of its subsidiaries, this figure will climb to 40.44 MMTCO2e by 2030.

96% of its current emissions are due to processes such as direct fuel burning for obtaining energy from heat, steam, electricity, and cooling, which are part of operations. These are the Scope-1 emissions. The remaining 4 per cent is due to obtaining electricity from the grid, which results in Scope-2 emissions.

According to Vaidya, IOC has developed a path to reach net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which include emissions from its crude refining operations and energy usage. Green hydrogen is expected to account for 50% of total hydrogen output in 5-10 years, and 100% by 2040. Vaidya further stated that IOC intends to increase renewable energy capacity to 12 gigatonnes (MW) from the existing 256 MW and to have electric vehicle charging stations at 10,000 petrol stations within two years.

Also Read
Gujarat: period for filing applications extended
Noida to digitize 13lakh land records from 2002-17

IOC, India's largest oil company, will install green hydrogen plants at all of its refineries as part of a Rs 2 trillion green transition strategy to attain net-zero emissions from its operations by 2046, according to its chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is restructuring its business with a greater emphasis on petrochemicals to hedge fuel volatility, while also transforming petrol pumps into energy outlets that offer EV charging points and battery swapping options in addition to conventional fuels as it seeks to become future-ready, he said. The company plans to increase its refining capacity from 81.2 million tonnes to 106.7 million tonnes per year as India's oil consumption rises from 5.1 million barrels per day to 7-7.2 million bpd by 2030 and 9 million bpd by 2040. Hydrogen, the cleanest known fuel that emits just oxygen and water when burned, is being hailed as the fuel of the future, but its higher cost than alternative fuels currently limits its use in businesses. Refineries that convert crude oil into fuels like gasoline and diesel use hydrogen to reduce the sulphur content in diesel fuel. Nowadays, this hydrogen is created utilising fossil fuels such as natural gas. IOC intends to split water using electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar to produce green hydrogen. Vaidya stated that the corporation will invest Rs 20 billion to build a 7,000 tonne per year green hydrogen production facility at its Panipat oil refinery by 2025. We're starting with Panipat, but all refineries will eventually have green hydrogen units, he said. This contributes to the company's goal of reaching net-zero emissions from operations by 2046. We intend to invest more than Rs 2 trillion in order to attain net zero, he said. These investments encompass setting up green hydrogen facilities at refineries, enhancing efficiency, renewable energy capacity addition and alternate fuels. IOC's current annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily from refining operations, are 21.5 million tonne carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e). After accounting for planned expansions and the emissions of its subsidiaries, this figure will climb to 40.44 MMTCO2e by 2030. 96% of its current emissions are due to processes such as direct fuel burning for obtaining energy from heat, steam, electricity, and cooling, which are part of operations. These are the Scope-1 emissions. The remaining 4 per cent is due to obtaining electricity from the grid, which results in Scope-2 emissions. According to Vaidya, IOC has developed a path to reach net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which include emissions from its crude refining operations and energy usage. Green hydrogen is expected to account for 50% of total hydrogen output in 5-10 years, and 100% by 2040. Vaidya further stated that IOC intends to increase renewable energy capacity to 12 gigatonnes (MW) from the existing 256 MW and to have electric vehicle charging stations at 10,000 petrol stations within two years. Also Read Gujarat: period for filing applications extended Noida to digitize 13lakh land records from 2002-17

Infrastructure Energy

23 Oct 2025

GAIL to Set Up Bengaluru CBG Plant Under New Concession Pact

GAIL (India) Limited has signed a 20-year concession agreement with the Bengaluru City Municipal Corporation (BBMP) to set up a compressed biogas (CBG) plant in the city. The project, expected to produce around 10 tonnes of CBG daily, will utilise municipal solid waste as feedstock, contributing to clean energy generation and efficient waste management. The CBG produced will be used in GAIL’s City Gas Distribution network to promote cleaner fuel usage. The initiative aligns with the government’s Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme and GAIL’s broader ..

Infrastructure Energy

23 Oct 2025

Uttarakhand HC Lifts 31-Year Ban on ONGC’s Contractual Hiring

The Uttarakhand High Court has lifted a 31-year-old ban on the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) from hiring contractual workers, a restriction imposed in 1993. The decision enables ONGC’s Dehradun establishment to employ personnel on a contractual basis to meet operational requirements. The long-standing prohibition had limited ONGC’s ability to fill vacancies in its technical and administrative departments, often leading to project delays and higher dependence on outsourcing. With the court’s directive, the public sector enterprise can now proceed with temporary recruitments whil..

Infrastructure Energy

23 Oct 2025

JSW Energy’s Utkal Unit Bags 400 MW, 25-Year Power Supply Deal

JSW Energy Limited announced that its subsidiary, JSW Energy (Utkal) Limited, has secured a Letter of Award (LoA) from Karnataka’s Power Company of Karnataka Limited (PCKL) for the supply of 400 MW of electricity for 25 years. The agreement is part of a competitive bidding process for long-term procurement of power to meet the state’s growing energy demand. The 400 MW capacity will be supplied from JSW Energy’s upcoming thermal power project in Odisha. This development strengthens JSW Energy’s presence in the southern market and aligns with its strategy to enhance long-term contracte..