The virtual groundbreaking ceremony for the project was conducted by Thiru M. K. Stalin, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He was joined by Dr T R B Rajaa, the Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce of the Government of Tamil Nadu, Mr Arun Roy (IAS), the Industries Secretary, Mr Vishnu (IAS), MD of Guidance, Mr Gopalakrishnan Chathapuram Sivaramakrishnan, Whole-time Director and Chief Manufacturing Officer of Hyundai Motor India Limited, senior officials from Guidance Tamil Nadu, and other senior state government officials.
The partnership aims to accelerate hydrogen ecosystem development and adoption in Tamil Nadu, and the rest of the nation. The upcoming hydrogen innovation centre by Hyundai Motor India Limited, IIT Madras and Guidance Tamil Nadu is in line with HMIL’s goal of strengthening Tamil Nadu as a hub of automotive innovation and furthering a shared vision of introducing advancements in alternate fuels.
This will be an effective measure to reduce Tamil Nadu’s carbon footprint, and HMIL is positive this partnership will also play a crucial role in developing a skilled workforce for the emerging hydrogen economy.
Speaking on the announcement, Mr. Gopalakrishnan Chathapuram Sivaramakrishnan, Whole-time Director and Chief Manufacturing Officer (CMO), of HMIL, said, “Hyundai Motor India Limited remains committed to being a strategic partner in the Tamil Nadu Government’s vision of building a sustainable ecosystem for transition towards alternate fuels. We are hopeful the upcoming hydrogen innovation centre will accelerate hydrogen mobility adoption in Tamil Nadu. HMIL will be investing INR 100 Crores towards facility construction at the IIT Madras Thaiyur campus in Chennai. In line with our global vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’, this facility will serve as a key enabler to advance hydrogen as an eco-friendly, emission-less future source of propulsion for mass-mobility solutions.”
The hydrogen innovation centre will be spread across 65,000 sq. ft. within the IIT Madras, Thaiyur campus, located on the outskirts of Chennai.
Commenting on this strategic partnership, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, of IIT Madras, said, “IIT Madras has continued to be the forerunner in India’s transformation into a technology and innovation superpower. Furthering this journey, the Institute is honored to partner with Hyundai Motor India Limited and Guidance Tamil Nadu, to develop a dedicated research facility which we envisage, will create breakthrough innovations in the field of hydrogen mobility. The hydrogen innovation centre will serve as a catalyst for hydrogen technology innovations, creating a robust ecosystem for start-ups and researchers.”
The state-of-the-art hydrogen innovation centre will feature the following facilities and focus areas.
- Electrolyzer test rig - Electrolyzer development for the generation of green hydrogen
- Electrolyzer / Fuel cell fabrication line - Localization of manufacturing and supply chain
- Fuel cell test station
- Operational and diagnostic Digital Twin for hydrogen infrastructure
- Pilot demonstrators using electrolyzers and fuel cells
- Hydrogen refuelling station - for hydrogen mobility research
The hydrogen innovation centre is projected to be operational by 2026, with the potential to significantly contribute to the comprehensive development of the hydrogen ecosystem throughout India.
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