India’s largest industrial and medical gases company INOX Air Products (INOX AP) will supply green hydrogen to what will be the country’s first green hydrogen-powered float glass facility.
Having signed a 20-year offtake agreement with Asahi India Glass Limited (AIS), INOX AP will supply green hydrogen to AIS’s forthcoming float glass facility in Soniyana, located in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.
The move aligns with broader sustainability initiatives, indicating a shift towards more environmentally conscious practices within glass production.
Slated to get commissioned by July 2024, the 190 tonne-capacity green hydrogen plant will supply 95 tonnes per year of green hydrogen to reduce emissions within glass making – an industry responsible for 95 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions worldwide.
Hydrogen is used in glass making to create an oxygen-free environment as a blanket to prevent oxidation of the glass. It is also used to improve efficiency in cutting, polishing, heat treating and melting and softening applications.
Commenting on the agreement, Rupinder Shelly, COO-Architectural Glass at AIS, said, “Our greenfield plant at Soniyana targets [to use] 94% of its power requirements through green and sustainable energy sources.”
AIS is also investing in generating electricity from flue gases before they are released from chimneys.
Once built, the facility will manufacture float glass to be used in the automotive and architectural industries as part of AIS’s partnership with AGC Europe.
According to Siddharth Jain, Managing Director at INOX AP, the development would reduce CO2 emissions by 1,250 million tonnes per annum.
“Green hydrogen will play a pivotal role in India’s energy transition towards decarbonisation and secure energy for our country as well as the planet,” he added.
77% of India’s 1.2 million tonnes per year of produced float glass is used domestically.
Under its current PM Modi, India has narrowed its focus on building its green economy, supported by a National Green Hydrogen Mission approved in January 2022.
The Mission targets the development of a green hydrogen production capacity of at least five million metric tonnes per annum by 2030, accompanied by an addition of around 125 GW (gigawatts) of renewable energy capacity.
It also targets the removal of nearly 50m metric tonnes of CO2 emissions annually by 2030.
Under the Mission, the Indian cabinet approved a total of $2.4bn for the initial outlay, including $2.1bn for the SIGHT programme, $179m for pilot projects, $48.5m for R&D and $47.4m towards other Mission components.
According to India Hydrogen Alliance (IH2A), the country needs approximately $15bn in public and private funding to meet its targeted 15GW electrolysis capacity.
