Webinar on the Ramagundam Green Hydrogen Cluster Roadmap

The International Hydrogen Ramp-up Program (H2Uppp) in cooperation with the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) and the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF-SO) organised a webinar on the Ramagundam Green Hydrogen Cluster Roadmap on 20 December 2024.  

The National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) of India identifies the establishment of Green Hydrogen (GH2) hubs as a major initiative to help India achieve its target of producing at least 5 MMT of GH2 by 2030. Recognising the technical and logistical challenges inherent in transporting hydrogen over long distances, it is envisaged that a cluster-based production and utilisation model to enhance the viability of green hydrogen projects would enable economies of scale and convergence of key infrastructure requirements in geographically proximate areas. 

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Kumar Abhishek, Energy Advisor, IGEF-SO, acknowledged the support from RICH, Government of Telangana, and all stakeholders that included off-takers as well as prospective producers in the region for their inputs to the study. He highlighted the concept of hydrogen valley, its importance in India’s decarbonising efforts. Ramagundam with its unique characteristics provides opportunities to deploy green hydrogen and derivatives for local consumption but needs support through policy and supportive ecosystem by all stakeholders.  

Mr. Bhavesh Mishra, Deputy Secretary, IT & Electronics Department, Government of Telangana, in his inaugural address highlighted that it is vital for India to have energy security amid burgeoning crude oil import and depreciating rupee. Telangana was mentioned as a progressive state with IT revolution uptake and observed that time is right to adopt GH2 so as to achieve the decarbonisation goals of the state. Mr. Mishra noted that proximity of industries in Ramagundam bodes well for the hydrogen cluster and called upon the region to become growth engine for the state. 

Mr. Himadri Singha, an expert from Deloitte, presented the study findings, identifying key industries in Ramagundam with hydrogen demand, projecting a long-term requirement of 75 tons/day and an investment of approx. € 0.8 billion for development. Key findings from the roadmap included deployment in three phases through 2040 with off-takers in the region that included fertiliser, transport, mining, glass and cement sectors critical to success of the cluster. Incentives such as government subsidies and tax benefits were proposed to lower the levelised cost of hydrogen and attract investment in infrastructure deployment.

Mr. Rahul Pataballa, DGM, NTPC-REL outlined NTPC's ambitious green hydrogen hub project in Pudimadaka near Visakhapatnam, highlighting significant production capacities and potential job creation. The project included action plan for green chemicals in four phases through to 2032 with focus on Green Ammonia and Green Methanol with future plans for SAF and Green Urea. 

With over 120 participants, the webinar featured an engaging discussion with questions on storage solutions, renewable energy integration, and cost reduction strategies. These queries were addressed by Mr. Srinivas Cherla, Director of Sustainability at RICH, Mr. Rolf Behrndt, Senior Advisor for GH2 India and Mr. Rahul Pataballa.

The presentation on the study by Deloitte can be found here.
The presentation on the NGEL Green Hydrogen Hub by NTPC can be found here.
The study on Development of Roadmap for a Green Hydrogen Cluster in Ramagundam can be found here. 
If you are interested to learn more about the webinar, please find a recording here.
For everyone who is interested to learn about H2Uppp, all information can be found here.