Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) plans to conduct testing of natural gas pipelines nationwide for their ability to carry hydrogen. The announcement was made during the India Energy Week held at Bengaluru last month.
To this forward, the oil marketing company had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Italian energy infrastructure firm, SNAM in 2020 for joint initiatives in the natural gas infrastructure value chain, focusing on storage and regasification.
SNAM will undertake a study for IOCL’s natural gas pipeline network and offer recommendations on the percentage of hydrogen that can be injected in them. The oil marketing company is looking to test in the optimum range of 10-20 hydrogen by volume as a push towards blending natural gas with hydrogen.
Additionally, IOCL is seeking a technology partner to assist with the production technology transfer for manufacturing green hydrogen. Once finalized, it will begin production at Hazira in Surat. The company had formed a joint venture (JV) in 2022 with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and ReNew Power to develop the nascent green hydrogen sector in India.
Furthermore, in regards to aviation fuel, the company has outlined plans for meeting domestic requirements as well as exports and is setting up two manufacturing facilities for the fuel at its Koyali refinery in Vadodara, Gujarat, and at Paradeep refinery in Odisha. It will commence production in a month's time.
