Asahi India, Inox Air sign 20-year agreement for green hydrogen supply

Inox Air Products has signed a 20-year agreement with Asahi India Glass Ltd (AIS) to supply green hydrogen to the glass maker's greenfield float glass facility in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.

As part of the agreement, announced on Tuesday, Inox Air Products will handle the design, engineering, installation, operations, and continuous supply of green hydrogen to the AIS facility for the next 20 years.

This project marks Inox Air’s first green hydrogen unit, with a planned capacity of 190 tonnes per annum. In the initial phase, it will supply 95 tonnes of green hydrogen to AIS annually.

Scheduled for commissioning by July 2024, the plant will be powered by solar energy, according to a press statement.

AIS will invest in the solar power plant that will provide renewable energy for generating green hydrogen through the electrolysis process.

“As a leading and responsible glass company, AIS is a strong believer in sustainability…Our greenfield plant at Soniyana targets to use 94% of its power requirements through green and sustainable energy sources,” said Rupinder Shelly, COO-Architectural Glass, Asahi India Glass.

In addition to the solar power plant investment, AIS will also invest in generating electricity from flue gases, he added.

AIS is setting up this greenfield project in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, to manufacture high-quality float glass for automotive and architectural purposes. The project will be in technological collaboration with its partner AGC Europe.

“This development will significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,250 million tonnes per annum,” said Siddharth Jain, managing director, INOX Air Products. "Green hydrogen will play a pivotal role in India’s energy transition towards decarbonization and secure energy for our country as well as the planet.”

Inox Air Products is India’s largest manufacturer of industrial and medical gases, with a manufacturing capacity of 4,200 tonnes per day of liquid gases from 48 operating locations.

Asahi India Glass is an integrated glass and window solutions company, supplying automotive and architectural glass.