BPCL teams up with BARC to scale up alkaline electrolyzer tech for green hydrogen production
BPCL is actively working towards achieving net-zero emissions by implementing sustainable practices and investing in renewable energy sources, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change.
As a responsible corporate entity, BPCL is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and contributing to a greener and more sustainable future for generations to come.
According to a company executive, Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) plans to help build about 1 MW of electrolyzer manufacturing capacity in the country by 2025 using Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) technology for green hydrogen.
BPCL’s R&D division is collaborating with BARC to scale up alkaline electrolyzer technology for green hydrogen production. According to Bharat L Newalkar, BPCL’s chief general manager (R&D), the cost of an alkaline electrolyzer could be cut in half with some technological and economic innovations.
According to him, the company intends to hire a third party to set up the electrolyzer-making facility, and the alkaline electrolyzers produced by the proposed facility will likely cost 20-30% less than the current rate of around $800 per kw.
A kilogram of green hydrogen requires around 55 kWh of renewable electricity.
According to Ravikumar V, head of R&D at BPCL, in order to make green hydrogen sustainable, capital, as well as operating expenses, must be reduced. Green hydrogen costs will need to be reduced through innovation as well as government backing, he stressed. Green hydrogen costs three times as much as grey hydrogen today.
Most state-run refineries intend to start producing green hydrogen to supplement a large amount of grey hydrogen they currently use to remove sulfur from fuel.
According to Ravikumar, BPCL’s R&D section has also devised a more efficient LPG cooking stove burner that can help a household save a cylinder’s worth of gas per year.
Market stoves have a fuel efficiency of 68%, but BPCL’s new model has a 74% efficiency. Both burners are the same price. Customers have already purchased over 70,000 stoves equipped with BPCL burners, he claims.