Uttar Pradesh marked a major milestone in its clean energy journey on Sunday with the inauguration of the state’s first green hydrogen plant in Gorakhpur. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the facility developed by Torrent Group and described the project as a big step towards energy independence for the state and as part of India’s wider energy transition. Speaking at the event, Yogi Adityanath said this was the first such plant in Uttar Pradesh and only the second in the country, adding that the plant would ensure the blending of green hydrogen with compressed natural gas and piped natural gas for city gas distribution systems.

The project will operate as a pilot, beginning with the blending of 2 per cent green hydrogen with natural gas in the supply network. The hydrogen will be produced using a 2 MW renewable energy-based electrolyser that relies on solar power to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Officials noted that the project has the capacity to produce up to 72,000 tonnes of green fuel annually and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by around 500 tonnes each year. The plant is also intended to demonstrate how hydrogen blending can be integrated into existing city gas infrastructure without major disruptions, paving the way for similar facilities across the state and the country.

The government of Uttar Pradesh had last year unveiled its Green Hydrogen Policy to attract investment into hydrogen and ammonia production facilities. The policy offers a 30 per cent capital subsidy, which rises to 40 per cent for the first four projects, alongside rebates on power tariffs and expedited clearances. 

The Gorakhpur facility is one of the first projects to benefit from these incentives and is expected to encourage more companies to set up similar units in the state. Yogi Adityanath underlined that hydrogen held the promise of becoming a reliable energy source of the future. While acknowledging that the cost of hydrogen-based energy remains high today, he drew a comparison with mobile tariffs, saying that what was once unaffordable had become accessible over time and the same could be expected with hydrogen as technology advances and scale improves.

The Chief Minister also used the occasion to highlight the broader context of climate change. He pointed out that rainfall, which should have taken place in July, was happening much later, disturbing agricultural cycles and causing uncertainty for farmers. He said this disruption was linked to climate change, which showed how human actions were damaging not only the environment but also livelihoods. He emphasised that shifting towards organic farming and renewable energy would be key to addressing these challenges.

Nationally too, the inauguration of this facility is being seen as a significant step in India’s green hydrogen mission, which aims to produce 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030. With projects like the Gorakhpur plant, India is moving closer to its target of cutting emissions, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and building a cleaner, more resilient energy future.

Source:

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/big-step-taken-today-yogi-adityanath-inaugurates-ups-first-green-hydrogen-project-10195423/