Indian refineries to begin green H2 output from 2025

Spanish Market: Hydrogen
14/03/23

Indian state-controlled refineries are to begin producing green hydrogen from 2025, junior oil minister Rameshwar Teli said, ahead of the government's goal of 5mn t/yr of domestic production by 2030.

Refiners IOC, Hindustan Petroleum and MRPL are to bring on line a total of 14,800 t/yr of production capacity by 2025-26, while Bharat Petroleum, Numaligarh Refinery and Chennai Petroleum will have 16,000 t/yr ready by 2030, a government document showed.

This brings the total green hydrogen production by the refineries to 30,800 t/yr, leaving the remaining of around 4.97mn t/yr of Delhi's production target for private-sector companies such as Reliance Industries, NTPC, Adani, JSW Energy, ReNew Power and Acme Solar that are building electrolyser capacity to produce green hydrogen in the next few years.

"Refineries in the country already utilise hydrogen for internal consumption which has the potential to be converted into green hydrogen," Teli said on 13 March.

Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the government has made an initial outlay of 197.44bn rupees ($2.39bn), to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and make India into a global hydrogen hub.

The government has detailed its plans for promoting domestic hydrogen production and establishing 60-100GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030, besides developing 125GW of renewable energy capacity for dedicated use in the production of green hydrogen and associated transmission.

India's ministry for ports, shipping and waterways also has identified Gujarat's Deendayal, Odisha's Paradip and Tamil Nadu's VO Chidambaranar ports for development into hydrogen hubs to handle, store and produce renewable hydrogen by 2030.

The government will support increasing the share of green hydrogen use in its industrial sector to 25pc by replacing grey hydrogen, prime minister Narendra Modi said at the India Energy Week on 6 February.

By Rituparna Ghosh

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30/04/25

Brazil Aneel rejects grid access for green H2 projects

Paris, 30 April (Argus) — Brazil's electricity regulation agency Aneel has rejected requests for electricity grid connections filed by two renewable hydrogen projects in the northeast of the country — but the decision can be reverted, according to one of the companies. Spanish project developer Solatio, which is planning a renewable ammonia project in the state of Piaui, had its request for a grid connection rejected by Aneel in a resolution published last week. In March, Solatio received approval from Brazil's industry minister to build a 3GW electrolyser facility at the Parnaiba Export Processing Zone, with operations expected to start in early 2029. The firm had previously said it aims to achieve over 11GW of electrolyser capacity in Piaui in the long run. Aneel's decision to reject access to the grid was based on recommendations made by Brazil's grid operator ONS, which found the grid connection request to not be feasible as it "could result in overload and risks of voltage collapse". In the technical note, Aneel said that this decision "does not constitute a sanction or opposition to the investment itself". Instead it is a reflection of the "current technical limitations" of the power system. The regulator expects that "in the near future, structural works capable of safely serving large loads in the northeast will be proposed and granted". Brazil's energy ministry has already requested energy planning body EPE an expansion of 4GW of capacity in the northeast grid to accommodate demand from renewable hydrogen projects in the coming years. Solatio has already submitted a "new technical solution" that was designed with support of the Piaui government and state investment promotion agency Invest Piaui and that it could be approved soon, the developer told Argus . Earlier this month, renewables firm Casa dos Ventos also had a grid connection request rejected for its 900,000 t/yr renewable ammonia project planned at the Pecem port complex, in Brazil's Ceara state. Output from the Iracema project could supply TotalEnergies , which is a shareholder in Casa dos Ventos. Casa dos Ventos' request included a grid link to power a data centre project, which was refused by Aneel too. Aneel has asked ONS to provide "the set of technical information" for its recommendation and increase transparency on its assessments. Casa dos Ventos was not immediately available to comment. Hydrogen industry participants in Brazil have grown increasingly concerned about power grid bottlenecks. Even though the government has approved plans to expand grid capacity across the country, the sector worries that this could come too late for projects that hope to be early beneficiaries of Brazil's tax credit scheme unless the procedures are sped up. By Pamela Machado Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Canada H2 sees opening as political chaos engulfs US

25/04/25

Canada H2 sees opening as political chaos engulfs US

Houston, 25 April (Argus) — Canada's hydrogen sector sees an opportunity to attract global customers as the US' bellicose stance toward its northern neighbor unites Canadians behind strengthening its energy capacity and as US political turmoil sends countries looking for other trading partners. "The mayhem south of the border has created a real national interest in exports," Trigon Pacific Terminals chief executive Robert Booker said this week at the Canadian Hydrogen Convention in Edmonton, Alberta. Trigon is building a berth at the port in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, to handle low-carbon hydrogen converted to ammonia. "The choice, quite frankly, is become the 51st state or export," Booker said. "We should export, and there's broad understanding that that's good for Canada." Canadian energy exports from Alberta have largely gone south to the US. Ambitions to tap global markets have been stymied in years past by community and federal opposition to building rail and pipeline infrastructure that would connect the landlocked province to the Pacific coast. Multiple large-scale hydrogen proposals in western Canada were quietly shelved in the past year because of a lack of infrastructure, among other challenges, and Canadian companies were shut out of recent Asian auctions to buy hydrogen because of similar restraints. But Trump's return to the White House has changed Canadians' views on export infrastructure. Both candidates in the upcoming 28 April general election, including Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney who served as UN Special Envoy for Climate Action, have vowed to build out pipelines , rail corridors and other infrastructure — including electricity grids — to diversify energy exports away from the US. "We've never been this united in the country," said Julie Lemieux, chief executive officer of Triple Point Resources, which is developing a salt dome in Newfoundland for hydrogen storage. "That's the positive of the chaos. We've been notoriously slow to approve these projects and invest in infrastructure. Whoever wins next week, they've all committed to investing in infrastructure." Panelists speaking in Edmonton expressed relief that Canada didn't follow the US example of putting tariffs on China, whose technology and components will be instrumental to containing costs while building Canadian infrastructure. "For better or worse, whatever your opinion, the build out of new infrastructure today is really dependent on China, especially when it comes to green infrastructure, where there's already an embedded green premium," said Matthew Borys, vice president of corporate development at EverWind Fuels. "Keeping the cost down is super important to getting these things built out." The Trump administration's preference for fossil fuel extraction over clean energy and its expansionist designs on the Panama Canal are also seen as opportunities for Canadian developers to attract Asian customers who could avoid the canal by exporting from British Columbia terminals, said James Vultaggio, vice president of Atco EnPower. "The administration to the south is focused more on fossil fuel production and reducing environmental regulations," Vultaggio said. "If they want to cede their seat as a clean energy leader, then Canada has an opportunity to fill that seat, and we should take it." Trump has been outspoken in his preference for fossil fuel extraction and has paused all federal clean energy disbursements related to the Inflation Reduction Act, which has raised doubts about whether US hydrogen hubs can survive as they were initially conceived during the administration of former president Joe Biden. Clean energy incentives such as the 45V hydrogen production tax credit have also come under scrutiny as the Trump administration seeks to shrink government spending. The uncertainty around clean energy incentives in the US may well send American investment north, said Denis Caron, chief executive of the Belledune Port Authority in eastern Canada's New Brunswick province, which is positioning itself as a green energy hub targeting European markets. Caron said an American company working with the port of Belledune remains bullish on its prospects there and could serve as a model to attract even more American investment if the US continues to claw back support for clean energy. "We see an opportunity to attract American investment to Canada and make those types of investments," Caron said. "Canada has a golden opportunity to fulfill the requirement of supplying clean and green energy products globally." By Jasmina Kelemen Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Danish H2 sector criticises country's mandate draft

25/04/25

Danish H2 sector criticises country's mandate draft

London, 25 April (Argus) — Industry group Hydrogen Denmark and some of its member companies have criticised the country's draft to transpose EU hydrogen transport targets into Danish law, and have urged Copenhagen to adjust the rules before they are finalised in May. Companies with hydrogen projects, including Everfuel, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and European Energy, signed an open letter calling for changes, as did fuel producer Crossbridge Energy, which runs the 67,000 b/d Fredericia oil refinery and has an offtake deal for hydrogen from Everfuel. The group said Denmark's targets are unambitious and too low to spur significant demand and help the country realise its goal to export 'green' energy. The draft rules would effectively mean Danish fuel companies supply 1pc renewable hydrogen and derivatives to the transport sector by 2030, which was the minimum goal set by Brussels. The group urged Denmark to aim above the EU target, following member states like Finland that has set a 4pc target . The group also wants Denmark to phase in the quota with incremental increases each year until 2030 starting as early as 2026, to aid first-mover projects and generate experience that ensures Denmark can successfully meet the binding EU target that starts in 2030. The group also warned Denmark must not exclude use of subsidised hydrogen from counting towards transport targets. This would ruin the business case for many hydrogen production projects and could steer Danish producers towards exports and mean Denmark effectively subsidises neighbours like Germany to meet its own mandates, it said. The group's concerns stem from language around 'supported' projects in the draft text, which it understands to refer to state aid. If left unchanged, the rule would affect projects that Denmark has subsidised through its power-to-X tender and Danish projects that may hope to benefit from EU-level funds like the European Hydrogen Bank or the Innovation Fund. The industry group praised Copenhagen's plan to allow renewable hydrogen switching in refineries to count towards the targets. This mechanism, known as the refinery route in some European countries, has been called "elegant" by market participants because it should raise demand for hydrogen in the near term and is a logistically simpler way to cut CO2 than converting refuelling stations and vehicle fleets to use hydrogen. Denmark appears to have allowed the rule without limiting the value of credits, unlike the Netherlands where a 'multiplier' rankled industry participants . Allowing the refinery route will probably please Everfuel and Crossbridge Energy, as the latter had complained Denmark was not supporting its refinery 20MW fuel switching project unlike EU peers. Copenhagen had planned to set the draft mandates into law by 21 May — the deadline set under the EU's revised renewable energy directive (REDIII) — but it remains to be seen if it will press ahead with this timeline given industry has demanded changes. By Aidan Lea Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Canada election’s CO2 pricing issue one to watch for H2

23/04/25

Canada election’s CO2 pricing issue one to watch for H2

Canada's two main parties have clashed on the carbon pricing system ahead of the general election, but there is also common ground, writes Jasmina Kelemen Houston, 23 April (Argus) — Industrial carbon pricing has become one of the key issues in the run-up to Canada's forthcoming general election on 28 April, and the future course on this is expected to affect the country's nascent clean hydrogen sector. Prime minister Mark Carney's first major act after assuming office in early March was to scrap the consumer carbon tax . The tax had become the focus of popular anger against former prime minister Justin Trudeau after Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre blamed Liberal climate policies for rising household costs. But Carney, who served five years as the UN Special Envoy for Climate Action, left the federal carbon pricing system on industrial emissions intact and has vowed to keep it. In contrast, Poilievre has said he will eliminate it, arguing the system raises costs for consumers while merely shifting emissions abroad. Scrapping the federal carbon pricing system would not mean that emissions immediately become free of charge across Canada. The federal law serves as a "backstop" for provinces that do not have their own carbon pricing mechanisms in place, and sets minimum standards for others. Most provinces have their own systems in place for now, but they could alter or altogether eliminate these if the federal law on carbon pricing is removed. Climate activists say retaining the carbon pricing would be crucial for meaningful emissions cuts. "Without the signal industrial pricing systems send, other types of incentives... will not be enough to meaningfully drive down carbon pollution from big industry or deliver on Canada's climate goals," Canadian Climate Institute president Rick Smith said in March. Under the federal system, the minimum carbon tax is currently set at C$95/t ($68.60/t) of CO2 and is set to increase by C$15/t each year, plateauing at C$170/t in 2030. If such pricing is retained, it could help drive a shift towards cleaner hydrogen production , including from natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS), compared with existing production pathways with unabated emissions. For now, it seems likely that the federal carbon pricing system will survive the election. The Liberals were ahead in a rolling three-day Nanos poll released on 21 April, with 43.7pc favouring Carney compared with the Conservatives' 36.3pc. Corridor train Carney and Poilievre appear more aligned on other energy issues and policies that could have implications for the hydrogen sector. Both have embraced Canada's potential for fossil fuel output. Carney wants to turn the country into a "superpower in both clean and conventional energy", and has vowed to build out pipelines, trade corridors and other infrastructure — including electricity grids — to diversify energy exports away from the US. Some of this could support hydrogen ventures, such as in British Columbia where a slew of proposed renewable and CCS-based projects have failed to advance , partly because of high power prices and limited gas infrastructure. Despite the support for conventional energy, Carney and Poilievre have also stressed their commitment to retain investment tax credits for clean technologies and manufacturing. Renewable and CCS-based hydrogen projects can benefit from these , with tax credits depending on the carbon intensity of production. Both have vowed to streamline and accelerate permitting processes for large infrastructure projects, which could benefit hydrogen ventures if realised. Canada's clean hydrogen ambitions will also be dependent on the sector gaining traction elsewhere. Eastern Canada's goal to leverage its renewable resources and help meet what was expected to be burgeoning demand in Europe has stalled as the transatlantic market has failed to materialise as anticipated. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Belgian H2 pipeline faces year delay in fruit dispute

17/04/25

Belgian H2 pipeline faces year delay in fruit dispute

London, 17 April (Argus) — The construction of Belgium's first hydrogen pipeline between the ports of Ghent and Antwerp could be delayed by a year, after its environmental permit was suspended, gas transport system operator Fluxys has said. The 35km pipeline linking the towns of Zelzate and Kallo — part of a "first phase" of Belgium's "open access" hydrogen pipeline network — was to be completed in 2026 following the start of construction last month . But Belgium's council for permit disputes suspended the environmental permit following appeals from fruit growers related to discharge of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — sometimes referred to as "forever chemicals" — into the water, Fluxys said. "Work has been halted pending a decision on the merits of the case, which could take up to a year," said Fluxys spokesperson Tim De Vil. "This clearly puts our timetable at risk." A final decision is expected next year at the earliest. De Vil said Fluxys is talking to the Flemish government and farmers' organisations to ensure the permit can still be approved. Fluxys' permit included permission to dispose of PFAS-contaminated water into surface water under "certain conditions." But the regulatory body ruled the impact on areas already exceeding the PFAS limits had been evaluated inaccurately. By Alexandra Luca Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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