- 10,000 tonnes per annum green hydrogen contract advances industrial decarbonisation in India’s refining sector
- Strategic JV between Bharat Petroleum and Sembcorp scales hydrogen infrastructure at refinery level
- Aligns with India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission and strengthens energy transition financing pathways
NeuEN Green Energy has secured a long-term contract to supply 10,000 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen to Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL), accelerating India’s push to decarbonise its hard-to-abate industrial sectors.
The agreement places green hydrogen at the centre of refinery operations, replacing conventional hydrogen derived from fossil fuels and reducing lifecycle emissions tied to fuel production. For India, where refining capacity continues to expand alongside rising energy demand, the shift carries both climate and strategic weight.
NeuEN, a 50:50 joint venture between Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Sembcorp Industries Ltd, will develop and operate a dedicated production facility at NRL’s refinery in Assam.
“We are proud to announce that NeuEN Green Energy (50:50 JV between Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Sembcorp Industries Ltd) has secured a contract to supply 10,000 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen to Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. With this, we have reached a significant milestone in our decarbonisation journey!”
Building Integrated Hydrogen Infrastructure
The project goes beyond supply. NeuEN will establish a fully integrated green hydrogen ecosystem within the refinery’s footprint, combining renewable power generation, advanced storage systems, and continuous production capabilities.
This design addresses one of the sector’s biggest challenges: reliability. Refineries require uninterrupted hydrogen flows to maintain operations, making intermittency a critical barrier for renewable-based alternatives.
NeuEN’s approach integrates renewable energy with storage solutions to stabilise output and ensure continuous delivery. The facility is expected to anchor long-term operational resilience while lowering carbon intensity across refining processes.
“NeuEN Green Energy Secures Landmark Green Hydrogen Contract We have received a 10,000 tonnes per annum green hydrogen supply contract from Numaligarh Refinery Ltd.”
Policy Alignment And Strategic Timing
The deal lands as India accelerates implementation of its National Green Hydrogen Mission, which targets global leadership in hydrogen production, export, and domestic industrial use. Refining, fertilisers, and steel remain priority sectors due to their high emissions intensity and dependence on grey hydrogen.
Government backing, coupled with incentives for electrolyser manufacturing and renewable integration, is beginning to unlock project pipelines at scale. This agreement reflects how policy frameworks are translating into bankable industrial contracts.
For Bharat Petroleum, the project supports corporate decarbonisation commitments while future-proofing refining assets. For Sembcorp, it reinforces its positioning in renewable infrastructure and emerging energy carriers across Asia.
RELATED ARTICLE: TotalEnergies, RWE Sign Germany’s Largest Green Hydrogen Deal to Cut 300,000 Tons of CO2
Financing, Risk, And Commercial Viability
From an investor perspective, long-term offtake agreements such as this are critical to derisking green hydrogen projects. Secured demand from an industrial anchor like NRL improves project bankability and supports capital deployment into infrastructure that remains cost-sensitive.
Green hydrogen still faces cost competitiveness challenges against conventional hydrogen. However, integrated models that combine captive renewable energy, storage, and guaranteed offtake are beginning to close the gap.
The Assam project demonstrates how industrial players are structuring early-stage markets through vertically integrated partnerships rather than waiting for standalone hydrogen economies to mature.
What Executives And Investors Should Watch
For C-suite leaders, the signal is clear. Green hydrogen is moving from pilot projects into core industrial operations, particularly in sectors where electrification is not viable.
Key considerations now shift to execution. Supply chain readiness, electrolyser scaling, renewable capacity build-out, and storage technologies will determine whether projects meet cost and reliability expectations.
Investors should track similar refinery-linked contracts across Asia and the Middle East, where policy support and industrial demand are converging fastest.
Global Implications For Industrial Decarbonisation
India’s move to embed green hydrogen within refinery operations carries broader significance. It demonstrates a pathway for emerging markets to decarbonise energy-intensive industries without slowing economic growth.
As more projects transition from announcements to operational infrastructure, global hydrogen markets will begin to take shape around real demand, not projections. Deals like NeuEN’s with NRL bring that shift closer.
The next phase will test scalability. If replicated across refining hubs globally, green hydrogen could materially reduce emissions from one of the most carbon-intensive segments of the energy system.
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