Govt floats tender to set up 4.5 lakh tonne green hydrogen production facility in India

New Delhi: Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has floated a tender for setting up a production facility of 4.5 lakh tonne of green hydrogen in India under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) scheme.

SECI is a Government of India enterprise under the administrative control of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE). It is a nodal agency for implementing various schemes for renewable energy in the country.

According to the tender document, the total capacity available for bidding is 4.5 lakh tonne per annum including 4.1 lakh tonne under Technology Agnostic Pathways and 40,000 tonne under Biomass Based Pathways.

The total capacity to be allocated under this tender is 450,000 tonne per annum of green hydrogen (GH2), it stated.

It provided that a bidder, including its parent, affiliate or ultimate parent or any group company shall submit a single bid undertaking to set up a GH2 production facility.

The projects shall be quoted in multiples of 500 tonne only, it stated.

Under the Technology Agnostic Pathways (Bucket I), minimum bid capacity would be for 10,000 tonne while maximum would be 90,000 tonne.

Under Biomass Based Pathways (Bucket II), the minimum bid capacity would be 500 tonne while maximum would be 4,000 tonne.

The maximum time allowed for commissioning (SCD) would be 30 months from the date of the Letter of Award.

The tender was floated on July, 10, 2023 and pre-bid meeting is scheduled on July 28, 2023.

Hard copies of the bids can be submitted by September 11, 2023 and these would be opened on September 12, 2023.

The Union Cabinet has approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore up to 2029-30.

The SIGHT programme is a major financial measure under the mission, with an outlay of Rs 17,490 crore.

The programme proposes two distinct financial incentive mechanisms to support domestic production of electrolysers and production of green hydrogen. These incentives are aimed at enabling rapid scale-up, technology development and cost reduction.

SECI has been appointed as implementing agency for this scheme. This tender has been prepared in line with the guidelines, including subsequent amendments and clarifications issued thereof, until the last date of bid submission of this RfS (request for selection).