According to The Tribune, the central government has awarded 30 kilo-tonnes per annum (KTPA) of green hydrogen capacity across four oil refineries under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. While individual refinery allocations, plant locations, corporate beneficiaries, and specific technology selections have not been disclosed, an aggregate capacity of 30 KTPA across four sites provides a solid basis for evaluating the engineering requirements, process integration, and utility footprints needed for implementation.
Electrolyser Sizing and Power Conditioning
Translating an aggregate 30 KTPA green hydrogen allocation into equipment sizing requires applying fundamental electrolyser performance parameters. Producing 30,000 metric tonnes of hydrogen annually equates to a baseline average output of approximately 3.42 metric tonnes per hour across all four facilities combined.
Based on standard commercial electrolysis specific energy consumption rates—typically 50 to 55 kWh per kilogram of produced hydrogen—an active load of approximately 170 to 200 MW continuous electrical input is required to sustain this production rate across the awardees. However, because renewable power inputs (such as solar PV and wind) operate at variable capacity factors typically ranging between 20% and 45% without grid firming, the total nameplate electrolyser rating installed across these refineries will likely need to be substantially higher, potentially reaching 300 to 400 MW in aggregate nameplate capacity. Key power system design priorities include:
- Rectification and Power Quality: Multi-MW industrial transformer-rectifier units designed to manage variable direct-current (DC) loads while keeping total harmonic distortion (THD) within strict grid interconnection limits.
- Dynamic Range and Turndown: Selection of stacks capable of operating across wide dynamic ranges to align with variable generation curves without accelerating cell stack degradation or compromising gas purity.
Refinery Offtake Dynamics and Hydroprocessing Integration
Refineries are natural early-adoption hubs for green hydrogen because they maintain steady baseload demand for hydrotreating (desulfurization) and hydrocracking. In conventional refinery setups, grey hydrogen is supplied via Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) at constant high pressures and purities. Substituting green hydrogen into hydroprocessing units requires engineering workarounds to handle intermittent feed generation:
- Pressure and Purity Alignment: Water electrolysers typically output gas at pressures between 10 and 30 bar. Because refinery hydrotreaters often operate at elevated pressures, multi-stage mechanical compressors and specialized deoxypure units are needed to deliver gas at required process pressures and dry purities.
- Buffer Storage and Co-Feeding: To avoid operational upsets or thermal stress in downstream hydroprocessing units during periods of low renewable output, plant developers must install high-pressure buffer storage vessels or integrate automated co-feeding control systems with existing SMR units to trim load fluctuations.
Water Treatment Duty and Footprint
Water treatment infrastructure represents a critical balance-of-plant requirement for all four awarded refining sites. Stoichiometrically, splitting water requires 9 kilograms of demineralized water for every 1 kilogram of hydrogen produced. When accounting for reverse osmosis blowdown, electrodeionization (EDI) reject streams, and cooling system evaporation, real-world raw water demand typically spans 15 to 25 kilograms per kilogram of green hydrogen.
For an aggregate target of 30 KTPA, raw water demand will reach roughly 450,000 to 750,000 metric tonnes per year across the four plants. Where refinery sites are located in water-stressed regions, engineering teams will need to specify high-recovery reverse osmosis systems, EDI polishing loops, and Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) processing to manage water consumption and environmental discharge compliance.
Source
This analysis was written from reporting by The Tribune: Centre awards 30 KTPA green hydrogen capacity to four oil refineries under National Green Hydrogen Mission, published 11 August 2026. Figures and events above are as reported there; the engineering commentary is ours.