TKIL Industries announced on Tuesday that it has acquired a stake in the Swiss company Sohhytec SA, gaining access to innovative technology for producing green hydrogen directly from solar energy.
The acquisition will enable TKIL, formerly known as Thyssenkrupp Industries India, to not only produce pressurized hydrogen but also develop the necessary infrastructure to store and distribute hydrogen for vehicles, according to Vivek Bhatia, CEO of TKIL.
“We are already engaging with oil marketing companies (OMCs) and presenting our initial proposals for hydrogen-based retail facilities,” Bhatia said.
Automakers have already developed hydrogen-powered vehicle engines, Bhatia noted, highlighting a specific model launched by a Japanese manufacturer. He added that hydrogen use will also benefit heavy-duty vehicles.
Although Bhatia declined to disclose the exact stake acquired in Sohhytec or the investment amount for the exclusive rights to the technology in India, he emphasized that Sohhytec’s breakthrough technology uses only sunlight to produce green hydrogen, enabling TKIL’s entry into this segment.
Saurabh Tembhurne, founder and CEO of Sohhytec, described the technology as a mature process, which has been piloted for over four years. The process mimics photosynthesis, wherein solar energy is harnessed to produce hydrogen.
Regarding the cost of manufacturing green hydrogen, Bhatia suggested that it may be challenging to match Reliance Industries’ ambition to reduce production costs to $1 per kilogram in the next decade. However, he indicated that without subsidies, TKIL could produce green hydrogen at an estimated cost of Rs 400 per kilogram (over $4 at current exchange rates).
In addition to OMCs, TKIL is also in talks with steel plants and other industries to supply green hydrogen for their operations, Bhatia added.
Tembhurne highlighted that the technology is modular and off-grid, making it suitable for remote locations with limited land requirements.
Currently, TKIL and Sohhytec have the potential to produce up to 100 MW of green hydrogen, and TKIL aims to sell this capacity across various industries and applications within the next year.
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