Anil Taparia, CEO of ACME Green Molecules Business.
Funding to provide long-term demand assurance and price stability for the project’s full export output
Japan’s decision to support the ACME Group-IHI Corporation green ammonia joint venture in Odisha with a US$3 billion (¥480 billion) grant under its flagship Contract for Difference (CfD) programme marks one of the strongest commercial endorsements yet of India’s Green Hydrogen Mission. The support provides 25 years of price backing for 2,28,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) of green ammonia exports from the project’s Gopalpur facility beginning September 2030.
What makes the project significant is that, unlike many green hydrogen ventures still searching for buyers, the Gopalpur plant already has identified demand in Japan. Companies including IHI Corporation, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, Hokkaido Electric Power, Nippon Beet Sugar Manufacturing, Kobelco Power Kobe, Sumitomo Chemical and UBE Corporation are expected to procure green ammonia from the facility.
The project has also secured additional backing through Japan’s Long-Term Decarbonised Power Source Auction (LTDA) programme. The remaining 1,77,000 TPA of the plant’s planned 4,05,000 TPA capacity has been earmarked for Japan’s power sector, effectively providing long-term demand support for the project’s entire output.
“This is one of the big grants we were pursuing for the last 2.5 years,” said Anil Taparia, CEO of ACME Green Molecules Business, describing the selection as a major achievement given intense global competition for Japanese hydrogen and ammonia subsidies.
The twin Japanese mechanisms address one of the biggest hurdles facing the green hydrogen industry: commercial viability. While India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to make the country a major producer and exporter, securing long-term buyers and predictable revenues remains essential for attracting project financing. The CfD programme bridges the cost gap between green and conventional ammonia, while the LTDA mechanism guarantees long-term demand, improving project bankability and investor confidence.
The Gopalpur plant is part of ACME Group’s larger green ammonia strategy in Odisha. The company is also developing an 8,00,000 TPA green ammonia facility at Paradip, targeted for commissioning by 2029. The project already has a 3,70,000 TPA Green Ammonia Purchase Agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), while another 83,000 TPA has now been allocated under Japan’s LTDA programme.
Together, the Gopalpur and Paradip projects give ACME more than 1.2 million TPA of planned green ammonia capacity in Odisha, making it one of India’s largest green hydrogen and ammonia development platforms.
Expected to commence operations in 2030, the ACME-IHI venture is also emerging as one of the first major outcomes of the India-Japan Clean Energy Partnership, combining India’s low-cost renewable energy and manufacturing capabilities with Japan’s industrial demand and engineering expertise.
Beyond ACME, the project could become an important proof point for India’s Green Hydrogen Mission, demonstrating that the country can move beyond policy ambitions and establish globally competitive exports of green molecules at scale.
Published on July 2, 2026
