From Our Correspondent
Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government is intensifying efforts to transform the state into a Green Hydrogen Hub, Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand said on Thursday. The first meeting of the AP Green Hydrogen Valley Advisory Board was held at the Secretariat on Thursday, where members discussed various initiatives aimed at boosting green hydrogen production in the state.
Vijayanand said the government had already announced the AP Green Hydrogen Valley Declaration with a target of making Andhra Pradesh the national leader in green hydrogen production by 2030. The plan envisages setting up 2 GW electrolyzer manufacturing capacity by 2027 and achieving 1.5 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) of green hydrogen production by 2029.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. V.K. Saraswat, NITI Aayog member and chairman of the Advisory Board, noted that Andhra Pradesh ranks first in the country in biomass availability, which can play a vital role in hydrogen production. He said the use of biomass for green hydrogen could enhance farmers’ incomes and create employment opportunities.
Dr. Saraswat stressed the need for local industries—including steel plants, fertilizer units, and ports—to adopt green hydrogen on a large scale. He added that the Union government, under the National Hydrogen Mission, is ready to extend incentives to industries using green hydrogen.
Chief Secretary Vijayanand, who is also the co-chairman of the board, said Andhra Pradesh’s abundant solar, wind, and pumped energy storage potential gives it a unique edge. The state’s 974-km-long coastline, he noted, is another major advantage for large-scale hydrogen production and export.
He highlighted that a 1 GW pumped storage project had already been set up in Kurnool, and that NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) is developing a massive hydrogen hub at Pudimadaka near Visakhapatnam with an investment of ₹1.85 lakh crore. The project aims to generate 1,500 tonnes of green hydrogen per day through 20 GW of renewable energy capacity.
“Domestic production of green hydrogen will reduce import dependence and open up major opportunities for local consumption,” Vijayanand said, adding that the initiative would strengthen Andhra Pradesh’s identity as a renewable energy leader.
AP Greenco CMD Dr. Ram Kumar said the NPCL Fertilizer Plant at Kakinada is being converted into a 1-million-tonne ammonia plant as part of efforts to build a Green Hydrogen Hub in Kakinada. He added that several MoUs related to hydrogen projects will be signed during the upcoming CII summit in Visakhapatnam on November 14–15.
Earlier, Prof. D. Narayana Rao, Member-Secretary of the Advisory Board, made a presentation on the AP Green Hydrogen Valley Declaration and Roadmap (2025–29), outlining the opportunities and strategies for developing the green hydrogen ecosystem in the state.
Advisory Board members Dr. R.K. Malhotra, Dr. Ashish Lele, Sujit Pillai, and J.K. Srivastava offered several suggestions on scaling up hydrogen production. Senior officials including NREDCAP VC & MD Dr. Kamalakar Babu, Industries Secretary Dr. N. Yuvaraj, and DMR Panda were also present.