Belgium-based global industrial group John Cockerill is expanding its green energy operations in India, aiming to double its electrolyser manufacturing capacity from 1 GW to 2 GW by 2029, as well as focus on modular concentrated solar power (CSP) systems, said Vivek Bhide, Regional President, India and Group Chief Transformation Officer, John Cockerill. “India will account for a large portion of our green hydrogen industry globally. We are one of the few players who have already secured confirmed demand,” Bhide stated during one of the conversation.
In response to India’s net-zero and economic objectives, the company is growing into defence production, nuclear maintenance support, and steel decarbonisation technologies. John Cockerill is developing electrolyser capacity in India through a joint venture with AM Green (previously Greenko) in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. The company has also acquired a PLI allotment for 300 MW per year.
Green Hydrogen Strategy
The organisation intends to operationalize its initial 1 GW line by 2026 and then increase it to 2 GW by 2029, as stated by Bhide. He added that a pressurized alkaline electrolyzer technology, intended for large-scale industrial use, will be implemented, with AM Green serving as the primary customer for the production of downstream green ammonia and methanol.
He mentioned that we have successfully secured the PLI scheme for nearly 300 MW of capacity on a year-over-year (YoY) basis. We are optimistic that with the initial order received from Greenko and a second order currently in progress, our Kakinada facility will reach full capacity for the next few years.
