IIT Madras to work with Industries on R&D and developing testing/validation standards in ‘Green Hydrogen’

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and IITM Research Park will work with industries and research institutes on industrial R&D needs, skill development, creating incubators, testing/validation standards, and policy advocacy in the ‘Green Hydrogen’ sector.

This is part of the 'Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster in Tamil Nadu' (HVIC-TN) initiative, which comprises nearly 30 companies working in the hydrogen sector, IIT Madras Research Park, Guidance Tamil Nadu, and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) besides a few consulates.

A key outcome expected from this initiative is to make HVIC-TN the hub of industrial R&D requirements to bring green hydrogen at an economical price and scale. This initiative is expected to contribute significantly towards the National Green Hydrogen Mission. In keeping with the Department of Science and Technology's (DST) vision to transform India into an energy-independent nation by 2047, it is providing funding for Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D) activities essential for small-scale demonstration by enhancing the readiness of technologies in green hydrogen value chain.

An HVIC-Tamil Nadu stakeholders meeting was held at IIT Madras recently in which Dr. TRB Rajaa, Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu, took part.

Extending strong support for this initiative, Dr. TRB Rajaa, Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu, said, “The establishment of HVIC is in line with Tamil Nadu’s goal of manufacturing electrolyzers, exporting green hydrogen or its derivatives and developing hydrogen economy in the State. There is a huge capability in the State for electrolysers but they need a testing facility, which HVIC must provide. Tamil Nadu power is already 50% green and HVIC will improve this further with green hydrogen.”

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, said, “With the mission for green hydrogen, we should become 'Green Hydrogen Valley Innovation Center’.”

Elaborating on this initiative, HVIC-TN Lead Coordinator Dr. Aravind Kumar Chandiran, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “Hydrogen is expected to play a big role in India's decarbonization goals and it has significant potential in making India self-reliant in energy...This HVIC-TN will focus on these areas and strive to remain top-notch in aforementioned segments.”

Further, Prof. Raghuram Chetty, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “The main purpose of this meeting was to bring all the stakeholders to a common platform and to discuss ways and means to accomplish the green hydrogen value chain in Tamil Nadu and the plans to demonstrate the readiness of the associated technologies.”

Mr. Arvind Kumar, MD, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd., said that CPCL will be the consumer for all the technologies that emerge from the cluster. He also said CPCL will have a large project to generate green hydrogen in Tamil Nadu.

IIT Madras will cover the entire value chain of hydrogen starting from generation, storage, and transportation to utilization. CXO-level representation from more than half the industry partners attended the meeting on the campus. The industries discussed and delineated their company's role and contributions to the HVIC.