Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Norway's Hystar AS have entered into a strategic partnership to enable the phased indigenisation and local manufacturing of PEM electrolyser systems for green hydrogen projects in India. The agreement was signed by Y. Srinivas Rao, Executive Director, Heavy Power Equipment Plant, Hyderabad, and Sutripto De, General Manager and Head, New & Renewable Energy Business, on behalf of BHEL. On behalf of Norway's Hystar AS, Fredrik Mowill, CEO of Hystar, signed the agreement. The signing took place in the presence of Arvinn Eikeland Gadgil, Chargé d'Affaires, Royal Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi, with Bani Varma, Director, Industrial Systems & Products, BHEL, S M Ramanathan, Director, Engineering, Research & Development, BHEL, and other senior officials present. As per exchange filings, the collaboration will enable BHEL to progressively localise the manufacturing of PEM electrolyser systems in India, strengthening the company's capabilities in executing green hydrogen projects across the country.
According to reports, BHEL will be among the few Indian players capable of offering both alkaline and PEM electrolyser solutions following this collaboration. The company had earlier this year entered into a strategic tie-up with thyssenkrupp nucera India Private Limited for alkaline electrolyser systems, which further strengthens BHEL's position in India's emerging green hydrogen market. The collaboration will also strengthen BHEL's project execution capabilities for green hydrogen projects in India, as reported by PTI. With the latest collaboration with Hystar for PEM technology, BHEL said it is among the few Indian companies capable of offering both alkaline and PEM electrolyser solutions to serve the country's emerging green hydrogen market.
The partnership positions Hystar as a "preferred international technology partner" for BHEL as India's green hydrogen sector gains momentum. The collaboration will capitalise on India's National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), which has set an annual production target of five million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030. India recently allocated 30,000 tonnes per year of green hydrogen production capacity across four state-owned oil companies, demonstrating significant government commitment to the sector. The agreement aligns with the Make in India initiative and supports India's strengthened position in the global green hydrogen market. Recent developments include NTPC Green Energy's plans for a 7GW green hydrogen-based chemicals hub in Pudimadaka, Andhra Pradesh, and contracts for over 700,000 tonnes of green ammonia awarded by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), indicating substantial activity in the sector.
