Oriana Power announces electrolyzer gigafactory for green hydrogen and e-fuels

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Commercial and industrial solar manufacturer Oriana Power on August 6 said that the company plans to build a gigawatt scale factory to produce alkaline electrolyzers and Balance of Plant (BOP) modules locally in India.

The initiative  would help boost local manufacturing of critical renewable energy technology, supporting the country's transition to clean energy and reducing dependency on imports. The company has planned investments in the range of around $25-$35 million for the factory, said a person familiar with the matter.

Alkaline electrolyzers are devices used to produce hydrogen gas through the process of electrolysis. This process involves passing an electric current through water, causing it to split into hydrogen and oxygen.

The company said the factory will be commissioned in two phases and the first phase of 500 Megawatt (MW) annual capacity for electrolyzer production is expected to be operational in 2026.

India lacks domestic manufacturing capabilities for alkaline electrolyzers, and therefore, relies on imports.

The new factory is being set up in partnership with Splitwaters, a US-based provider of cutting-edge alkaline electrolyzer and BOP (Balance of Plant) equipment, the company said.

“The green hydrogen market faces significant challenges due to high initial capital costs and lengthy execution timelines, but Splitwaters’ one stop shop model and modular technology address both these issues effectively,” said Anirudh Saraswat, Chief Business Officer of Oriana Power.