BPCL-Sembcorp JV Secures Green Hydrogen Contract, Supports Decarbonisation Push

NeuEN Green Energy, a joint venture between Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Sembcorp Green Hydrogen India Private Limited, has secured a contract to supply 10,000 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen to Numaligarh Refinery, at a record low price.

Under the contract, NeuEN will develop a green hydrogen production facility at NRL’s refinery in Assam, supported by a long-term offtake arrangement. The project is expected to begin commercial operations in 2028 and will integrate renewable energy with advanced storage solutions to enable reliable, round-the-clock operations to support refinery decarbonisation.

Commenting on the development, Sanjay Khanna, Chairman & Managing Director, BPCL, stated in the news release, “This project marks a significant milestone in BPCL’s journey towards building a future-ready and resilient energy portfolio. Through NeuEN, we are strengthening our presence across the green hydrogen value chain and progressing towards becoming a supplier of clean energy solutions."

Khanna further shared that securing this project through a competitive bidding process reflects both the evolving maturity of the green hydrogen sector and the company's focus on developing scalable, market-aligned solutions. BPCL further plans to build robust execution capabilities, and contributing meaningfully to industrial decarbonisation and India’s long-term energy security.

Vipul Tuli, President & CEO, Renewables, West, and CEO, Hydrogen Business, Sembcorp, added in the news release, “This award marks a significant step forward in advancing India’s green hydrogen ambitions and aligns closely with Sembcorp’s strategy to enable a lower‑carbon energy future. The landmark tariff achieved demonstrates the importance of well-structured long term offtake contracts. We are pleased to support NRL in its decarbonisation goals, and together with BPCL, deliver a project of national importance."

Shelly Abraham, Chairman, NeuEN, stated in the news release that NeuEN is enabling the integration of low-carbon solutions into refining operations and supporting long-term industrial decarbonisation by combining BPCL’s strong domestic market presence and infrastructure capabilities with Sembcorp’s global experience in renewable energy.

Strategic Clean Energy Push

The project aligns with India’s broader push to scale green hydrogen under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which targets significant production capacity by 2030 to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors like refining and fertilisers.

According to the report published by the International Energy Agency in 2025, hydrogen demand in refining remains substantial, making early adoption critical for emissions reduction.

Long-term offtake agreements, as seen in this deal, are increasingly viewed as key to improving project bankability and accelerating investment in green hydrogen infrastructure. Offtake momentum slowed, with signed deals covering 1.7 Mtpa H₂ in 2024, down from 2.4 Mtpa in 2023, only 20% of which were firm agreements. Tenders to procure low-emissions hydrogen yielded mixed results, with positive developments in refining, and uncertain outcomes on steel and fertilisers.