Jindal firms JSPL and JRPL to invest in green hydrogen in Odisha

As India puts its power behind the development of green hydrogen, Naveen Jindal promoted Jindal Steel & Power (JSPL) and Jindal Renewable Power Private (JRPL) have signed an MoU to invest in green hydrogen production for steel manufacturing in Angul, Odisha.

JSPL held that this would mark the largest investment in green hydrogen by an Indian steelmaker till date. Under the new agreement, JSPL plans to incorporate green hydrogen into its direct reduced iron (DRI) operations in Angul. JSPL held that this shows the company’s strong commitment from both companies toward decarbonizing and leading India’s steel industry into green energy, according to a company statement.

As outlined in the agreement, JSPL will provide the necessary infrastructure, while JRPL will oversee the development and operation of the green hydrogen and renewable energy facilities.

As per the agreement, Jindal Renewables will develop a green hydrogen generation capacity of up to 4,500 tons per year in the first phase. The project will be operationalised by December 2025. Additionally, the project will supply 36,000 tons of oxygen annually to the Angul steel plant.

JRPL will also deliver 3GW of renewable energy to JSPL’s facilities, cutting the company’s coal-fired energy dependence by 50% within the next two to three years.

Sanjay Singh, Director at JSPL, stated, “This MoU marks a pivotal moment in our journey towards decarbonisation using green hydrogen and green energy, accelerating our transition to lower emission steel.”

He also mentioned that integrating green energy and green hydrogen into the company’s production processes will reduce the carbon footprint but also setting a new benchmark for the Indian steel industry.

The company noted that the partnership aims to reduce the cost of green hydrogen production through innovative engineering while ensuring a sustainable business model with a 25-year offtake agreement.

The steel sector accounts for 10-12% of India’s total emissions, with companies actively working to reduce their carbon footprints.