India Intends To Install EV Chargers Every 50 Kilometers Of National Highway
In India, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has set an ambitious goal for developing its EV charging infrastructure. India Infrahub reports that NHAI will install an EV charging station along the national highways every 50 kilometers by 2023. This is over 40,000 kilometers of highways, with a plan of almost 700 charging stations. NHAI chairman Giridhar Aramane told ThePrint that wayside amenities were planned along the national highway network and would include EV charging stations, restrooms, rest areas for drivers, gas and diesel pumps, and restaurants. “We have bid out 100 wayside amenities and got a tremendous response. Each wayside amenity has received at least six-seven bids. Once the bids are awarded, (the work) will take six months to complete. “Whoever is traveling on national highways in an electric vehicle will not suffer if the vehicle breaks down.” Along with the government agencies, there are public and private sectors with their own plans for developing EV charging infrastructure in India. One example is the state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and its plans to build 5,000 EV charging stations within the next three years. The oil company wants to utilize its network of 19,000 fuel retail stations and experience to add EV charging facilities. The company plans to build the charging stations in its retail fuel outlets. This news comes a few months after the NHAI announced plans to set up 600 EV charging stations along the national highway network in 22 states. An official in the NHAI told the Deccan Herald: “The NHAI will set up with the charging stations in joint venture with private companies in the next five years. Apartment of charging stations the NHAI also proposing to set up food courts, restaurants, retail outlets as well in one place along highways. “Setting up EV charging stations will help to boost the electric vehicle usage.” The article also noted that Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said that by the end of this decade India wants 70% of its commercial cars, 30% of its private cars, 40% of its buses, and 80% of its two- and three-wheelers to be fully electric.
GAIL seeks to procure India’s largest Hydrogen electrolyser
GAIL’s electrolyser will outmatch the 5 MW one that NTPC is seeking to set up. It is expected that the 10 MW electrolyser will generate 4.5 tonnes of green hydrogen in a day. GAIL (India) is in the process of procuring what could be the largest Hydrogen electrolyser in India. Speaking at the side lines of India Energy Forum by CERAWeek, GAIL Chairman Manoj Jain said that a global tender for the same has already been floated for the 10 MW electrolyser. “The electrolyser will be deployed in the next 12 to 14 months,” Jain said adding that it may be deployed in Vijaipur, Madhya Pradesh, but the final location has not yet been decided. GAIL presently has a 400,000 tonnes per annum Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) plant in Vijaipur. GAIL’s electrolyser will outmatch the 5 MW one that NTPC is seeking to set up. It is expected that the 10 MW electrolyser will generate 4.5 tonnes of green hydrogen in a day. Incidentally, the world’s largest electrolyser is also of 10 MW. The Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R) uses a 20MW solar array, backed up by renewable power from the grid, to run a 10MW electrolyser at the site in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. A larger 24 MW Hydrogen electrolyser is being developed at the Leuna chemical complex in Germany. French oil major Total and utility Engie have also announced plans for 40 MW electrolyser to solar power in southern France. That plant is slated to be operational in 2024. Jain also said that GAIL intends to enter Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) retailing for long haul vehicles. “We as the industry will set up 20 LNG dispensing stations on the Golden Quadrilateral (highway network) by March 2022 and 500 to 600 outlets in three to four years…ultimately the target is to set up 1,000 LNG stations,” he said. Responding to queries on the high cost of LNG in the international market and impact on consumers, Jain said, “Around 70% of the country’s imported LNG comes through long-term contracts so most major consumers such as fertiliser units and refiners have not faced too much difficulty.” But the price surge affects consumption by natural gas-based power plants and also discourages potential users of gas to switch to the fuel, Jain added.
Saudi Aramco plans to invest across India’s energy value chain
State-run Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Saudi Aramco) plans to invest across India’s energy value chain and partner with domestic companies for the same, said senior vice president downstream Mohammed Y. Qahtani at the world’s biggest oil producer on Thursday. “Our vision is to invest across the value chain in India, and partner with Indian companies in this endeavor,” Qahtani said at the CERAWeek 5th India Energy Forum, according to a statement from Saudi Aramco. “As you know, Aramco is significantly strengthening its downstream business, to better complement our long-standing pre-eminence in upstream. And chemicals, especially, offer us a strategic opportunity,” he added in the statement. This comes against the backdrop of Mukesh Ambani controlled Reliance Industries Ltd announcing its plans in June to formalize its partnership with Saudi Aramco by the end of 2021. “Aramco is proud to be a key supplier of the energy that is fuelling Indian prosperity,” he said in the statement. India, the world’s third largest oil importer, has requested the Opec-plus grouping dominated by Saudi Arabia to up production. With the Opec cartel accounting for the majority of India’s crude oil imports, and around 40% of global production, any increase in production will help soothe the global crude oil markets. Amin Nasser, president and chief executive office (CEO) of Saudi Aramco was part of the virtual meeting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held with the bosses of global oil companies on Wednesday. “Our goal is to build a chemicals business that is a global leader, on par with our leading position in oil. Our acquisition of a 70% stake in SABIC has been key … allowing us to offer one-stop integrated solutions from crude oil supplies, refined products and chemicals, to lubricants and advanced non-metallic materials,” Qahtani said. Saudi Aramco has also partnered with Indian state-run oil companies for setting up the world’s largest oil refinery and petrochemical complex in Ratnagiri. The project has hit the skids, after protests from farmers and Shiv Sena, which is in power in Maharashtra with its alliance partners. “And we are accelerating our investments in large integrated refining/ petrochemicals manufacturing complexes … especially in large markets like India,” he said. India’s plans to grow its refining capacity to 400 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2025 from the present installed capacity of 249.36 mtpa through 23 refineries. Instead of setting up the controversial ₹3 trillion Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd. (RRPCL) at a single location in Maharashtra, the Union government is now exploring a plan to set up multiple small-size refineries and is looking for sites in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh as reported by Mint earlier.