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Union Minister Scindia Virtually Inaugurates Plant Commissioning

Jindal Stainless (JSL) today commenced the maiden usage of green hydrogen in its stainless steel plant in Hisar, Haryana in a ground-breaking venture in line with its commitment to sustainability and India’s targets of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions. The commissioning was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Union Minister of Steel and Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia ji virtually from New Delhi, in the presence of the Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha, Managing Director, Jindal Stainless, Mr Abhyuday Jindal and CEO of the technology partner, Hygenco Green Energies, Mr Amit Bansal.

Lauding the initiative, the Hon’ble Union Minister of Steel and Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “I congratulate both Jindal Stainless Ltd. and Hygenco for starting India’s first green hydrogen plant in the stainless steel sector. This path-breaking green hydrogen initiative will make the steel sector more green and sustainable. In line with PM Shri Narendra Modi’s vision to achieve the Net Zero emission target by 2070, the steel sector remains committed to innovating for a greener tomorrow. I am certain that this development will act as an inspiration for other industry players to embrace clean technologies and contribute to India's transition to a greener economy and a responsible industrial landscape.”

Commenting on the commissioning, Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha said, “The decision of a long-term commitment by Jindal Stainless to green hydrogen technology reflects a forward-thinking approach mindful of its environmental responsibility. By harnessing renewable energy sources to produce hydrogen, we are not only reducing our carbon footprint but also diversifying our energy mix and enhancing energy security. The deployment of green hydrogen in stainless steel manufacturing represents a tangible step towards a cleaner, greener future.”

Expressing his optimism over the project, Managing Director, Jindal Stainless, Mr Abhyuday Jindal said, “Our commitment to sustainability goes much beyond this pilot project. This is just the beginning; we will scale this up depending on successful application into other processes of stainless steel manufacturing. We understand that sustainability is not just a goal to be achieved, but a journey that requires continuous effort and innovation.”

On the occasion, CEO of Hygenco, Mr Amit Bansal, said, “It is an unprecedented achievement to help leapfrog the green hydrogen revolution globally. This commissioning will also provide a thrust to our commitment of enabling the energy transition and open doors to large-scale adoption of green hydrogen across various sectors.”

The state-of-the-art fully automated plant has been set up in association with Hygenco Green Energies Private Limited, a global leader in deploying green hydrogen solutions. The alkaline bipolar electrolyser, which has a capacity of 350 Nm3/hr, guarantees on an average 90Nm3/hr round-the-clock supply of green hydrogen using dedicated solar energy and storage. The facility aims at abating around 54,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions over 20 years and is based on a long-term off-take agreement. The facility is controlled by an advanced energy management and control system and Hygenco is operating the plant under Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model. The first commercial-scale green hydrogen plant, powered by rooftop and floating solar, was completed within the stipulated time frame.

The facility has a comprehensive monitoring system to track hydrogen generation, renewable energy generation, states of charge, pressure, and temperature. It has the capability to make real-time decisions for achieving high efficiency. Hygenco’s technology augments hydrogen yield and deliver cost-competitive hydrogen.

India, which is majorly dependent on imports for its energy needs, announced the National Green Hydrogen Mission last year. The Mission envisages the production of five million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030.

Jindal Stainless has made notable strides in its decarbonisation efforts, as highlighted at the UN COP28 summit in Dubai, where the company showcased its initiatives at the India Pavilion at the invitation of the Ministry of Steel, Government of India. With a significant reduction of approximately 240,000 tonnes of CO2e over the past two fiscal years (FY22 and FY23), Jindal Stainless is well on its way to achieving its midterm goal of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions well ahead of the 2035 target year and Net Zero by 2050.