Thermax is planning to adopt a multifarious approach while tapping opportunities in the green hydrogen space, according to Ashish Bhandari, MD & CEO, Thermax Ltd.
In a media interaction during the recent Thermax Fest 2023, Ashish Bhandari explained that Thermax was interested in pursuing opportunities across the green hydrogen value chain, even as it explores production of biomass-based hydrogen on commercial scale.
Bhandari noted that electrolyzers – the heart of the hydrogen production process – are equipped with different technologies and there are several companies in the fray. Thermax would be working towards finalizing a suitable technology for the manufacture of electrolyzers up to giga-scale. The R&D team of Thermax is currently working on evaluation of electrolyzer technologies and it was likely that there would be visible progress in the next 12-18 months.
While manufacturing of electrolyzers is very much on Thermax’s green hydrogen business agenda, Ashish Bhandari explained that there are many other aspects that the company would be looking at. For instance, Thermax has a rich legacy in the EPC business with over 150 projects executed across various industries. Added to this, is the company’s strong in-house manufacturing capability. Empowered by these strengths, Thermax could explore the EPC contracting opportunity for large green hydrogen plants.
Bhandari explained that there are several building blocks around green hydrogen plants—electrical works, water management, gas purification, etc. Conversion of green hydrogen into green ammonia (to facilitate transport) would also be an important element of new green hydrogen plants. “Handling such complex technologies is what Thermax is good at,” asserted Ashish Bhandari,
Another possibility was to develop green hydrogen plants on BOO (build, own, operate) basis where Thermax is empowered by its experience across over 60 such green energy projects, currently in operation. Incidentally, the green energy BOO business of Thermax is housed under its subsidiary Thermax Onsite Energy Solutions Ltd (TOESL).
Thermax, it may be mentioned, formally launched its strategic business unit (SBU) for green hydrogen in June this year.
It is pertinent to note that through the National Green Hydrogen Mission, announced in January 2023, India is aiming at installing 5 million tonnes of annual green hydrogen capacity by FY30, with a view to mitigating imports of fossil fuels and de-carbonizing core industries such as steel, cement and fertilizers.
Biomass-based hydrogen
In what could be a first in the industry, Thermax has made significant progress in production of hydrogen from gasification of biomass. Hydrogen thus produced also qualifies as “green hydrogen” as it does not involve the use of fossil fuels. Thermax has patented the technology for producing hydrogen through “woody” biomass and has even set up a pilot plant in Gujarat. Located in Vadodara, this plant (see featured photograph) can process 125 tonnes per day (tpd) of woody biomass to produce hydrogen.
Energy Storage
On the subject of battery energy storage systems (BESS), Ashish Bhandari observed that Thermax would be equipping its renewable energy assets with BESS. “Energy storage will come up at all our (renewable energy) plants. Costs of energy storage are coming down and the need for RTC (round-the-clock) power is increasing,” Bhandari explained in support of the move. “I think that within the next year, we will have our first energy storage plant,” Ashish Bhandari projected.
The proposed energy storage plants will be associated with Thermax’s green energy business, comprising solar, wind and hybrid (wind and solar) plants, which is carried out by its subsidiary First Energy Pvt Ltd (FEPL) and several step-down subsidiaries that act as special project vehicles (SPVs). Currently, FEPL has an operational portfolio of 140 mw, while another 400 mw is under construction. Thermax, as a group, has targeted renewable energy capacity of around 1 GW (1,000 mw) by 2027.
Also read: Thermax Demonstrates Innovative Technologies For Energy Sustainability
Featured photograph shows Thermax’s 125-tpd pilot plant at Vadodara in Gujarat that produces hydrogen through gasification of woody biomass.
