India's IOC plans its first green hydrogen plant

Spanish Market: Crude oil, Hydrogen, Oil products
21/07/21

Indian state-controlled refiner IOC will build its first commercial green hydrogen plant at the 160,000 b/d Mathura refinery in north India, as part of its plans to diversify to petrochemicals, hydrogen and battery technology.

Green hydrogen will be produced by leveraging the company's wind power project in northwest Rajasthan state, using that electricity to produce hydrogen via electrolysis, an IOC official said. The hydrogen will be used to replace fuels consumed at the refinery while converting crude to transport fuels. Full details of the project are currently unavailable.

IOC, which plans to add 500,000 b/d of new refining capacity by 2024 at its existing Panipat, Barauni and Nagapattinam refineries, will use clean energy to run operations instead of captive power units using fossil fuels such as fuel oil, naphtha or natural gas. It also has a continuing pilot project to produce 200-400 t/d of green hydrogen at its 274,000 b/d Koyali refinery for use in fuel cell buses.

Hydrogen is the latest initiative promoted by the Indian government as it seeks to reduce emissions, with it enlisting state-run energy firms to push these projects. Private-sector conglomerate Reliance Industries has also announced investments of around $10bn in the next three years to build plants that will produce green hydrogen and other forms of clean energy.

IOC has installed nearly 300 battery charging stations across India, with plans to increase this to 3,000 in the next few years. State-controlled refiner Hindustan Petroleum has tied up with utility Tata Power to set up battery charging outlets at its retail outlets.

India will soon issue a tender for 4,000MWh of battery storage that will be installed at four regional electricity dispatch centres, power minister RK Singh said this month. Each load centre will have 1,000MWh of storage and utilities can store the electricity during the day and distribute it at peak hours.

Indian state-controlled utility NTPC is setting up India's largest solar park of 4.75GW at Rann of Kutch in Gujarat state to produce green hydrogen. NTPC also won a bid this week to set up a 325MW of solar capacity at the Shajapur solar park in Madhya Pradesh state. Tariffs of 2.35 rupees/kWh (3¢/kWh) for 105MW and Rs2.33/kWh for another 220MW are cheaper than many coal-fired power plants.

By S Dinakar

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20/12/25

US seizes another Venezuelan tanker

Washington, 20 December (Argus) — The US Coast Guard on Saturday detained another Venezuelan tanker, making good on President Donald Trump's pledge to stop most shipments of Venezuelan crude. US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees the Coast Guard, announced the seizure via a social media post, without releasing the name of the tanker. "The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region", Noem wrote. The US Coast Guard on 10 December seized a Venezuelan tanker with a cargo of crude destined for Cuba. Trump on 16 December declared a blockade of Venezuelan tankers previously placed on the US sanctions list and demanded that Venezuela "return to the US all of the oil, land and other assets that they previously stole from us". The tanker seized on 10 December was on the US sanctions list. Caracas has reacted by ordering Venezuelan naval vessels to escort tankers in the country's territorial waters. The US naval vessels have kept to international waters off Venezuela's coast. Little crude tanker traffic has moved out of Venezuela's main ports since the 10 December seizure of the Venezuelan tanker, with the exception of cargoes chartered by Chevron and a few other foreign oil majors working with state-owned oil firm PdV, industry and government sources say. By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Trinidad not part of US blockade of Venezuela: PM

19/12/25

Trinidad not part of US blockade of Venezuela: PM

Kingston, 19 December (Argus) — Trinidad and Tobago is not involved in the US blockade of oil tankers entering and leaving from neighboring Venezuela, prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said on Thursday. She rejected a Venezuelan government claim that her country is part of US president Donald Trump's current campaign against Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, and that it is supporting "the theft of Venezuelan oil." "We have no intention of engaging in any war with Venezuela," Persad-Bissessar said. But Trinidad's foreign ministry said on 15 December that the US is using the country's two airports for "logistical activities," including resupply for US operations and personnel rotations. Venezuelan vice-president Delcy Rodriguez accused Persad-Bissessar of being "hostile" to Venezuela, saying she "has turned her country into a US aircraft carrier to attack Venezuela, in an unequivocal act of vassalage." The US has stationed a large naval force in the waters near Venezuela since September and has destroyed several small boats in the area it said were carrying drugs, killing more than 80 people. Trump said in November he would order land strikes against Venezuela soon, and the US seized a tanker carrying Venezuelan crude earlier this month. Trinidad's rejection of the Venezuelan claims follow a standoff between the hydrocarbon producers over agreements to develop an offshore natural gas field in Venezuelan waters close to their maritime border that has an estimated 4.3 Tcf in reserves. Trinidad described a Venezuelan decision to terminate all natural gas supply contracts with it as "propaganda". The southwestern tip of gas-short Trinidad is 11 miles from Venezuela's north coast, and the country has been seeking gas from Venezuelan offshore fields to support up declining domestic output. By Canute James Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Mexico central bank cuts target rate to 7pc

19/12/25

Mexico central bank cuts target rate to 7pc

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Viewpoint: Bitumen markets eye pockets of demand

19/12/25

Viewpoint: Bitumen markets eye pockets of demand

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US House passes bill to expedite permitting

18/12/25

US House passes bill to expedite permitting

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