Torrent Group's Green Hydrogen Plant in UP Inaugurated

Ahmedabad-based Torrent Group's green hydrogen plant in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh was on Sunday inaugurated by state chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

The project, jointly developed by Torrent Group entities Torrent Power and Torrent Gas, will have an annual production capacity of 72 tonnes per annum, the group said in a statement.

"The Green Hydrogen produced at the plant will be blended with natural gas in Torrent Gas' City Gas Distribution infrastructure in Gorakhpur, maintaining its concentration up to 2%," it said.

The green hydrogen blended with natural gas will be further supplied to domestic households, CNG stations and industries in the region through the already laid network of natural gas pipelines.

"Torrent's green hydrogen plant in Gorakhpur is the first Green Hydrogen plant in Uttar Pradesh and is also the largest Green Hydrogen and Natural Gas blending project in the City Gas Distribution sector in the country," the statement said.

Torrent Gas has licence to provide Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) in Gorakhpur, Sant Kabirnagar and Kushinagar districts.

Torrent has already set up 32 CNG stations and supplies gas to 12,000+ domestic households and 73 industries and commercial establishments in the region and intends to grow its gas distribution infrastructure in the region significantly.

Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced via electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources like solar, wind or hydropower.

Unlike hydrogen made from fossil fuels, green hydrogen has no direct carbon emissions, making it a cleaner energy carrier.

Blending it with natural gas reduces carbon footprint, utilises the already laid natural gas infrastructure and helps to ramp up early demand for hydrogen.

Speaking on the occasion, Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh has a target of 1 million tonnes per annum of green hydrogen production, for which it has set up a specific policy that will support potential investments.

With the inauguration of this plant, green hydrogen has become a part of the life of common people as it will directly reach their kitchens and vehicles. the statement quoted him as saying.

He also mentioned that availability of PNG has brought great relief to the people of Gorakhpur, especially the housewives due to the convenience, safety and savings it offers. Increasing use of CNG as transportation fuel has helped battle pollution and save costs for the masses.

Various industries and commercial establishments in Gorakhpur are also now using piped natural gas and reaping the benefits of cheaper and economical fuel.

Jinal Mehta, Director, Torrent Group, said, "Torrent Group is committed to making a significant contribution in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for India's Energy Transition and National Green Hydrogen Mission. The commissioning of Torrent Power's Green Hydrogen plant in Gorakhpur and its integration into Torrent Gas' City Gas Distribution infrastructure in Gorakhpur, is a milestone in this endeavour. It marks the culmination of the first initiative in our long-term vision of setting up large scale green hydrogen plants in the country for various use cases including for blending with natural gas in the CGD network." Blending Green Hydrogen into Gorakhpur's gas grid is a step in achieving practical, scalable pathway to net-zero target of the country. It lowers emissions, builds demand for green molecules, and creates a platform for deeper de-carbonisation in transport and industry, he said.