IOC Floats Global Tender to Set Up Green H2 Units at Mathura & Panipat

The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), ranked 212th on the Fortune Global 500 list of the world’s biggest corporations as of 2021, has released a global tender to set up green hydrogen generation units at Mathura and Panipat — two of its big refineries in North India. The deadline for interested applicants to submit their bids is December 8, 2021.

Some of the key details about the new global tender, as mentioned by the Expression of Interest (EoI) document, are as follows:

• Green hydrogen generation units will be set up at Mathura and Panipat refineries with installed capacities of 5000 MT per annum & 2000 MT per annum respectively on Build Own Operate (BOO) basis. The current refining capacity of the Panipat refinery & petrochemical complex is 15 MMTPA and the current operating capacity of the Mathura refinery is 8 MMTPA.
• The period of operation stretches from 16 to 24 years and the green hydrogen units are required to be commissioned within 28 months of the issuance of work order.
• The production of green hydrogen at both the proposed units will be on continuous basis (24×7) with renewable energy power using water electrolysis method. The resulting green hydrogen will be mixed with existing grey hydrogen network (H2 produced using naphtha or natural gas) for the captive purpose in secondary processing units
• By-products, such as oxygen, can be sold on merchant sale basis by the operator, but IOC would reserve the rights of first usage of oxygen.
• IOC will provide land to build, own, operate and maintain the green hydrogen plant. Experienced Indian and foreign operators have been invited to place bids.
• The BOO operator shall be responsible for investment in CAPEX and OPEX required for the creation of the facility and operation and maintenance, including supply of all materials and consumables.

In August this year, the Centre launched the National Hydrogen Mission, which “aims to cut down carbon emissions and increase the use of renewable sources of energy while aligning India’s efforts with global best practices in technology, policy and regulation.” The government has allocated Rs 25 crores in the Union Budget 2021–22 for the research and development in hydrogen energy and intends to produce three-fourths of its hydrogen from renewable resources by 2050. IOC’s latest tender is being considered a step in that direction.