NTPC's green hydrogen blending pilot project shows promising results

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NTPC's green hydrogen blending pilot project shows promising results

NTPC's green hydrogen blending pilot project shows promising results

Industry News
Sep 13,23

NTPC conducts a nine-month pilot project in its Kawas township in Surat, Gujarat. This project marks India's first attempt at blending green hydrogen with natural gas.

NTPC's green hydrogen blending pilot project shows promising results

Green hydrogen blending is imperative for two primary reasons: ensuring energy security by guaranteeing a consistent, long-term energy supply and promoting decarbonisation, which fosters sustainable and environmentally friendly fuel solutions.

This line of thinking has led India's state-run power giant, NTPC, to conduct a nine-month pilot project in its Kawas township in Surat, Gujarat. This project marks India's first attempt at blending green hydrogen with natural gas.

D Lakshmanan, NTPC's senior manager for hydrogen, recently stated that green hydrogen blending holds significant promise for India's future energy needs.

Regarding cost comparisons from the pilot project, Lakshmanan noted that blending green hydrogen at levels of up to 10% with the piped gas network (PNG) results in a highly economical solution compared to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). NTPC's data, presented at the event, revealed that the monthly cost benefit for using 5% hydrogen-blended PNG over LPG was Rs 63.95, and for 10% blended PNG, it was Rs 5.77.

However, for blends exceeding 10%, costs may rise slightly. Nevertheless, when implemented at a commercial scale, these costs are expected to decrease.

The pilot project's analysis showed that at 5% blending, the gas composition achieved perfect homogeneity in the natural gas with hydrogen blend. Moreover, there were no adverse effects on the pipeline network, burners, or rubber seals, demonstrating that this level of blending does not harm the infrastructure.

Launched on January 2, 2023, the pilot project is a collaborative effort between NTPC and Gujarat Gas Limited, involving the blending of 5% to 20% green hydrogen into PNG. The green hydrogen used in this project is generated through water electrolysis, utilising power from a one-megawatt floating solar project at NTPC Kawas. The produced green hydrogen is stored and then introduced into the PNG network.

Lakshmanan emphasised that this pilot project differs from typical blending projects with PNG or compressed natural gas (CNG) grids, as it requires continuous monitoring of the natural gas flow due to its non-uniform consumption patterns. The system must be capable of detecting these variations and injecting the necessary amount of hydrogen, even during low-flow periods.

NTPC reported that no issues have arisen in the pilot project since its commissioning, affirming its success from system design to operational execution.

Source: Economics Times