CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has inked a pact with US-based Ohmium to set up a new green hydrogen and electrolyser gigafactory in Chengalpattu district of the state.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of Chief Minister M K Stalin in San Francisco, on the second day of the CM's US trip, on Saturday. State Minister for Industries, Investment Promotions and Commerce TRB Rajaa and Ohmium Co-Founder and CEO Arne Ballantine were present.
Ohmium's proposed Chengalpattu plant will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore. The plant is expected to generate 500 jobs, a state government release said.
A specialist in electrolyzer systems for green hydrogen production, Ohmium International (Ohmium) designs, manufactures and deploys advanced proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers. Its gigafactory in Chengalpattu, which would be the company's third largest manufacturing facility in India, is aimed at meeting the demands of its global project pipeline.
Meanwhile, announcing the TN government's MoU with Ohmium on social media, Chief Minister Stalin said, "We’ve secured a Rs 400 crore investment from Ohmium in Chengalpattu district, creating 500 jobs. This marks a significant step in nurturing the ecosystem for green energy production and fuelling a sustainable future."
Recently, Ohmium had flagged off India’s first green hydrogen electrolyzer manufacturing unit at Doddaballapur on Bengaluru's outskirts. The plant facilitates the breaking of water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable energy, enabling the production of green hydrogen.
Green hydrogen, a clean energy source that only emits water vapour and leaves no residue in the air, unlike coal and oil, is expected to enable India’s transition to clean energy.
Ohmium has existing R&D partnerships with the IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP) and the ICSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI) in Karaikudi.
Meanwhile, Stalin would leave for Chicago from San Francisco on September 2. "All arrangements are on to welcome Chief Minister Stalin in Chicago on September 2. He will meet investors and address the non-resident Tamils in Chicago. After his scheduled programmes, Stalin would leave for Chennai from there on September 11," sources said.