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State government nod for Anert-led not-for-profit company for implementing green hydrogen valley innovation cluster project in Kerala

In India
January 22, 2025
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The Kerala government has given its nod for the creation of ‘Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster – Kerala’ (HVIC – Kerala), a not-for-profit company for taking forward a ₹133-crore hydrogen valley cluster project in the State.

Guidelines issued by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, stipulate that a not-for-profit company should be registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013, for implementing the HVIC projects. The company led by the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (Anert) will be responsible for “coordinating, implementing, and managing the project with DST,” according to the State government.

The CEO of Anert, the nodal agency for green hydrogen initiatives in the State, will be the chairperson and managing director of the HVIC – Kerala. The board of directors will have representatives of the DST, State Power and Finance departments, stakeholders and partners of the HVIC project and the industry.

In 2024, a green hydrogen valley proposal submitted by Anert was among four selected by the DST at the national level for financial support. ”We are looking at Kerala as a whole for the HVIC project, with Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram as the major hubs as they have ports,” Anert CEO Narendra Nath Veluri told The Hindu.

Guidelines

‘Green hydrogen’ is hydrogen produced through electrolysis, splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity from renewable energy sources. The DST guidelines for the HVIC projects define the ‘hydrogen valley’ as “a defined geographical area” where hydrogen serves more than one end sector or application in mobility, industry, and energy. It typically covers all the necessary steps in the hydrogen value chain; production, storage, transport and distribution, according to the guidelines.

Efficient storage and transportation solutions are vital to green hydrogen’s potential as a ‘clean energy carrier.’

Phase I of the HVIC project in Kerala, which will cover the period up to 2030, is estimated to cost ₹133 crore, which will be shared among the Union government (₹58 crore), partners and the State government. “After 2030, the project will be scaled up,” Mr. Veluri said.

“The Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster aims at developing local hydrogen ecosystems and would contribute in a big way to Kerala’s transition to sustainable energy. This will pave way for new economic opportunities and meet the environmental challenges in this sector,” the State government said in a January 17 order giving its approval for establishing the HVIC – Kerala.

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