India’s first green hydrogen project in the stainless steel sector was inaugurated by Union Minister for Steel Jyotiraditya Scindia at Jindal Stainless in Hisar, Haryana.

The green hydrogen plant was set up by Hygenco Green Energies for Jindal Stainless, an OP Jindal Group company.

Claimed to be the world’s first off-grid green hydrogen plant for the stainless steel industry and the world’s first green hydrogen plant with rooftop and floating solar, the facility aims to reduce carbon emissions by around 2,700 metric tons per annum and 54,000 tons of CO₂ emissions over the next two decades.

“The project not only aligns with the government’s vision but also creates valuable employment opportunities, showcasing the potential of responsible industrial practices,” Scindia said.

The minister urged other industry stakeholders to enthusiastically adopt clean technologies, actively participating in India’s transformative journey towards a greener economy and fostering a conscientious industrial landscape.

Scindia highlighted India’s progress in the steel sector, evolving from a net importer to a net exporter and aiming to become the world’s largest producer of crude steel. One key initiative in this journey is the National Green Hydrogen Mission, launched last year with an outlay of  ₹197.44 billion (~$2.3 billion) with the aim to make India a global hub for production, usage, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.

The mission is also supporting green hydrogen pilot projects in the steel sector with a budget of around ₹4.55 billion (~$54.8 million) until the financial year 2029-30. The program aims to gradually substitute fossil fuels to use 100% hydrogen in the Direct Reduced Iron process of steelmaking.

The minister referred to the 13 task forces set up to identify action points for each aspect of green steel production and implementation of the steel scrap recycling policy to enhance the availability of domestically generated scrap.