India commissions first NGHM green hydrogen plant at JSW Vijayanagar
Author: PPD Team Date: March 27, 2026
India has reached a concrete milestone in its green hydrogen push: the country’s first green hydrogen production facility under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) is now operational, ahead of schedule.
The plant, developed by JSW Renewable Energy (Vijayanagar) Limited, sits within the JSW Vijayanagar Steel Complex in Ballari, Karnataka. It has a production capacity of 3,600 tonnes per annum and runs on 25–27 MW of round-the-clock renewable power drawn from a mix of captive solar and wind assets. Electrolysis is handled by pressurized alkaline electrolysers.
The facility was commissioned well before its official deadline of February 2027 — a notable delivery given the scale and complexity of industrial hydrogen projects.
The green hydrogen produced here feeds directly into JSW Steel’s Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) process, targeting emissions reduction in steelmaking. The oxygen generated as a byproduct during electrolysis is being routed into the blast furnace, improving process efficiency rather than going to waste.
Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is the implementing agency for Green Hydrogen Production under Mode-1, Tranche-I of the NGHM, and has credited the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for its support in getting the project across the line.
Photo credit: SECI/LinkedIn