IOC Planning to Set up a New Hydrogen Production Facility, Advancing Towards a Cleaner Fuel Economy

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), an integrated global level oil and gas company is looking forward to setup several production facilities of Hydrogen on pilot basis in order to test the available pathways for its sustainable production. In an attempt to support the finances, the company has also asked the government to reduce the GST on the fuel and has proposed the launch of powered vehicles under FAME-II scheme of the government that complies to provide incentives for electric vehicles.

IOC’s Director, Mr. SSV Ramkumar, stated that the company has been planning to expand the fuel gas business since 2005, when it first launched its hydrogen dispensing station and research and development facility near Faridabad, Delhi.

The company, progressing upon its vision carried out the doping of compressed natural gas with Hydrogen last year which proved to be a significant move as presently around 45-50 buses in Delhi are running with CNG and Hydrogen mixed fuel. Following the success of the initiative, it has even setup a 4 TPD (tonnes per day) Hydrogen plant at the bus station for the same. The idea was primarily based on the reduction of tail pipe emissions but has also achieved a very high fuel efficiency. Highlighting the grand success, the project, Mr. Ramkumar stated that the buses who have been running on the engines complying with BS-IV standards but have surprisingly met BS-VI standards of emissions.

Extending the success from its first step, IOC carried out its second initiative in December 2020, when the company bid for 15 fuel-cell powered buses with a condition that the hydrogen fuel cells to be equipped should be manufactured in India. These buses are expected to launch by the end of 2021. In line with its objective to manufacture hydrogen cells in India, the company is planning to set up a facility with a capacity in between 200 to 400 TPD. As of now, Hydrogen will be produced via the commercial route, where methane is reacted with steam in the presence of Nickel catalyst.

As per ChemAnalyst, “IOC’s initiative to setup a Hydrogen plant is a prime step towards its long-term goal and will serve as a benchmark for other three Hydrogen production routes like biomass gasification, water electrolysis and conversion of compressed natural gas into hydrogen, which the company is planning to explore in the coming years as a progressive step towards the vision of a green Hydrogen economy.”