New Delhi [India], November 11 (ANI): JSW Energy Limited has started operations at its first green hydrogen manufacturing plant, which is also the largest in India, marking a major step in the country's journey towards clean energy.

The company said in its press release that the project falls under the Production Linked Incentive Scheme, Tranche I of the government's National Green Hydrogen Mission.

The new plant, located next to the JSW Steel facility in Vijayanagar, Karnataka, will supply green hydrogen directly to the steelmaker's Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) unit. This will help produce low-carbon steel, reducing the industry's dependence on fossil fuels.

Under a seven-year offtake agreement, JSW Energy will provide 3,800 tons per annum (TPA) of green hydrogen and 30,000 TPA of green oxygen to JSW Steel. The company said this is part of its 6,800 TPA allocation under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) program run by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

The company has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JSW Steel to gradually increase supply to 85,000-90,000 TPA of green hydrogen and 720,000 TPA of green oxygen by 2030. This expansion aligns with India's goal of producing approximately 5 million tons of green hydrogen per annum by 2030.

Sharad Mahendra, Joint Managing Director and CEO of JSW Energy, said, 'We are proud to commission India's first green hydrogen plant under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, implemented through the SIGHT programme by the Government of India. The project is a key milestone in our country's clean energy journey and reflects our unwavering commitment to support India's transition toward a low-carbon economy and decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors such as steel. Green hydrogen will assume a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable and Atmanirbhar Bharat.'

JSW Energy currently has a total locked-in generation capacity of 30.5 gigawatts (GW), comprising 13.3 GW of operational capacity and 12.5 GW under construction, across both thermal and renewable projects. It also has 150 megawatts under acquisition in hydro power and a pipeline of 4.6 GW. The company holds 29.4 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of locked-in energy storage capacity, including 26.4 GWh through hydro pumped storage and 3.0 GWh through battery systems.

With the commissioning of this plant, JSW Energy strengthens its position in India's clean energy space. The company aims to reach 30 GW of generation capacity and 40 GWh of energy storage capacity by FY 2030, and to become carbon neutral by 2050. (ANI)