BHEL, BARC join hands for electrolyser systems to produce green hydrogen

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has announced that it has entered into a Technology Transfer Agreement (TTA) with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for 50 kW alkaline electrolyser systems for Hydrogen production.

BHEL said that the well proven technology offered by BARC is indigenously developed and has high local material content.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Jai Prakash Srivastava, Director (Engineering, Research & Development), BHEL, by K. Ravishankar, Executive Director (Corporate Technology Management and Corp R&D), BHEL and Dr. S. Adhikari, Associate Director (Knowledge Management Group), BARC.

BHEL, through this collaboration with BARC, intends to scale up Indigenous Alkaline Electrolyser Technology and commercialise it for application in sectors such as refineries, fertiliser, steel, transportation, etc.

BHEL said that this will be a step further in the company’s contribution to the ‘National Green Hydrogen Mission’ and ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’.

Previously, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) had also collaborated with BARC to scale-up Alkaline Electrolyser technology for Green Hydrogen production. Refineries use large quantities of Hydrogen for de-sulfurization to make petrol, diesel and other chemicals that emit high CO2 into the atmosphere directly. Therefore, Refiners are also setting up large scale electrolysers to produce Green Hydrogen from water and thereby decarbonize Hydrogen production.

In February this year, BARC had also unveiled India’s first indigenous alkaline electrolyser at the India Energy Week (IEW) 2024 that was organised in Goa that it had developed with BPCL and Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally reviewed the operation of the machine.

The Central Government has launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission a year ago with an outlay of Rs. 19,744 crores up to FY 2029-30 to contribute to India’s goal to become Aatma Nirbhar (self-reliant) through clean energy and serve as an inspiration for the global Clean Energy Transition.