CHENNAI: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) along with IITM Research Park is going to work with industries and research institutes on industrial R&D needs, skill development, creating incubators, testing/validation standards and policy advocacy in the ‘Green Hydrogen’ sector.

This is part of the ‘Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster in Tamil Nadu’ (HVIC-TN) initiative, which comprises nearly 30 companies working in the hydrogen sector, IIT Madras Research Park, Guidance Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) besides a few consulates.

A key outcome expected from this initiative is to make HVIC-TN the hub of industrial R&D requirements to bring green hydrogen at an economical price and scale. This initiative is expected to contribute significantly towards the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

In keeping with the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) vision to transform India into an energy-independent nation by 2047, it is providing funding for Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) activities essential for small-scale demonstration by enhancing the readiness of technologies in green hydrogen value chain.

An HVIC-Tamil Nadu stakeholders meeting was held at IIT Madras recently in which Dr. TRB Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu, took part.

Extending strong support for this initiative, Dr. TRB Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu, said, “The establishment of HVIC is in line with Tamil Nadu’s goal of manufacturing electrolyzers, exporting green hydrogen or its derivatives and developing hydrogen economy in the State. There is a huge capability in the State for electrolysers but they need a testing facility, which HVIC must provide. Tamil Nadu power is already 50% green and HVIC will improve this further with green hydrogen.”

Dr. TRB Rajaa also emphasized the importance of creating skilled human resources and talents to meet with the requirements of green hydrogen industries. He highlighted the opportunities available for entrepreneurial activities through various State Government’s start-up initiatives. He concluded that the Tamil Nadu Government will work with IIT Madras on this HVIC.

The HVIC-TN will cater to the needs of green hydrogen ambitions of the State and the country by providing technological solutions, support on R&D, skill development, infrastructure building, techno-economic feasibility, and policy/regulatory recommendations.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “With the mission for green hydrogen, we should become ‘Green Hydrogen Valley Innovation Center’.”

HVIC-TN will act as a platform for stakeholders in the hydrogen sector to network and enable faster green hydrogen adoption and transition. The cluster will also serve as a nodal agency, think tank, and knowledge partner in the State to attract or support any initiatives in the hydrogen sector. In addition, to enable seamless access to networks between countries, connections through consulates of various countries are enabled.

Elaborating on this initiative, HVIC-TN Lead Coordinator Dr. Aravind Kumar Chandiran, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “Hydrogen is expected to play a big role in India’s decarbonization goals and it has significant potential in making India self-reliant in energy.

To successfully deploy hydrogen technologies and become a leader in the world, India has to undertake immediate intervention in building large-scale demonstrators, promoting innovations, creating necessary skills, and building test/validation labs. This HVIC-TN will focus on these areas and strive to remain top-notch in aforementioned segments.”

Further, Prof. Raghuram Chetty, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “The main purpose of this meeting was to bring all the stakeholders to a common platform and to discuss ways and means to accomplish the green hydrogen value chain in Tamil Nadu and the plans to demonstrate the readiness of the associated technologies.”

Arvind Kumar, MD, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd., said that CPCL will be the consumer for all the technologies that emerge from the cluster. He also said CPCL will have a large project to generate green hydrogen in Tamil Nadu.

IIT Madras will cover the entire value chain of hydrogen starting from generation, storage, and transportation to utilization. CXO-level representation from more than half the industry partners attended the meeting on the campus. The industries discussed and delineated their company’s role and contributions to the HVIC.