<article><p class="lead">Indian stainless steel producer Jindal Stainless plans to build a green hydrogen plant in the northern Haryana state with renewables developer Hygenco India, targeting commissioning in the third quarter of calendar 2023.</p><p>The solar-powered plant will house an alkaline electrolyser that has a potential to produce up to 250 t/yr but is targeting initial production of 75 t/yr, Jindal Stainless said on 14 September, describing the venture as a first for a stainless steel producer in India. It expects the plant to help it reduce CO2 emissions by 2,700 t/yr.</p><p>The hydrogen produced is planned to replace ammonia in its in-house annealing of stainless steel, which is part of the heat treatment process.</p><p>The plant will be built at Jindal Stainless' manufacturing site in Hisar in Haryana and Hygenco will own and operate it for 20 years, before transferring ownership and operations to Jindal Stainless.</p><p>"As a first, the green hydrogen plant will catalyse our transition from thermal to clean energy in the Indian manufacturing space," Jindal Stainless managing director Abhyuday Jindal said. Jindal Stainless is aiming to <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2238142">increase its stainless steel melting capacity</a> to 2.1mn t/yr from 1.1mn t/yr and its ferro-chrome capacity to 350,000 t/yr from 250,000 t/yr at present. Both projects are now targeted for completion by the fourth quarter of its fiscal year ending 31 March 2023, delayed from the third quarter previously.</p><p>India has been advancing green hydrogen initiatives to <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2303143">establish itself as a green hydrogen hub producing 5mn t/yr by 2030</a>. State-controlled refiner IOC seeks to <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2357318">produce 10pc green hydrogen out of its total hydrogen production</a> by 2029-30.</p><p class="bylines">By Ryan Ang</p></article>
