Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) announced on Tuesday that it has entered into a significant technology licensing agreement with Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser AS, a fully-owned subsidiary of Norway’s Nel ASA. This partnership will enable RIL to manufacture advanced electrolysers in India, enhancing its capabilities in green hydrogen production.
The agreement grants RIL an exclusive license for Nel’s alkaline electrolyser technology within India and allows the conglomerate to manufacture these electrolysers for its global operations. This collaboration provides RIL with access to Nel’s proven and leading technology platform for electrolyser manufacturing.
Both companies will collaborate on future performance improvements and cost optimizations through research and development (R&D), value engineering, standardization, and modularization. These efforts aim to enhance the competitiveness of the alkaline technology platform.
Håkon Volldal, President and CEO of Nel ASA, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “Nel will through this agreement also get a revenue stream from a rapidly growing market Nel could not have accessed on its own.” He highlighted that the collaboration with RIL opens new opportunities for Nel in the expanding green hydrogen market.
As per the agreement, Nel retains the ability to procure equipment from Reliance for its own projects and will continue to serve the Indian market with technology platforms not covered by the deal.
RIL is currently developing the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex in Jamnagar, Gujarat, which spans over 5,000 acres. This complex includes various giga factories, one of which will focus on electrolyser manufacturing for green hydrogen production. Earlier this year, RIL announced a collaboration with Denmark’s Stiesdal A/S for the manufacturing of HydroGen Electrolysers in India.
Additionally, RIL was allotted a 300 megawatt (MW) capacity under the Indian government’s production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for electrolyser manufacturing. The company aims to transition from grey and blue hydrogen to green hydrogen by 2025, pending the achievement of cost and performance targets.
This strategic partnership with Nel ASA marks a significant milestone in RIL’s journey towards sustainable energy solutions, reinforcing its commitment to leading the green hydrogen revolution in India and globally.
