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Section: CRUNS Industry News

GIZ and thyssenkrupp to support green hydrogen and power-to-X developments in India

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and thyssenkrupp nucera have entered into a new agreement to accelerate the development of green hydrogen and Power-to-X markets in India. Announced at India Energy Week in Goa, the partnership brings together international development cooperation and private-sector technological expertise to unlock opportunities along the country’s hydrogen value chain.

BHEL to supply syngas purification plant

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd says that it has secured a $305 million contract from Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Ltd (BCGCL) for a syngas purification plant at Lakhanpur, Odisha. The lump sum turnkey package includes design, engineering, equipment supply, civil works, commissioning and 60-month operation and maintenance services. The project, part of BCGCL's planned 2,000 t/d ammonium nitrate facility, has a 42-month execution timeline. BCGCL is a joint venture between Coal India Ltd, with a 51% stake and BHEL with a 49% shareholding.

Government moving forward with coal-based urea plant

The government of Pakistan has published a ‘strategic roadmap’ for the country’s major Coal-to-Fertiliser (C2F) initiative. The project is being executed by the publicly-owned Fauji Fertiliser Company (FFC), and will use local coal reserves at Thar as feedstock for the ammonia plant, which will in turn feed 720,000 t/a of urea capacity. The $1.1 billion project aims to strengthen the country’s fertiliser security as well as add value to local resources. A bankable feasibility study was completed in November 2025, and the project is now in the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) and project agreements phase. Under the proposed timeline, financial closure is expected between late 2026 and 2027, while commercial operations are targeted to commence in January 2031.

Equinor backs out of blue hydrogen project

Norwegian oil and gas major Equinor says that it is no longer pursuing its planned H2M Eemshaven blue hydrogen project in the Netherlands, citing policy uncertainty and insufficient funding. The project was a joint venture between Equinor and Linde, and would have produced hydrogen from natural gas piped from Norway, with a capacity of 210,000 t/a of hydrogen beginning in 2029. Around 95% of the carbon dioxide produced would then be piped back to offshore storage sites near the Norwegian coast. Equinor had received a grant of €162 million for the project from the European Innovation Fund last summer. However, uncertainties over whether the project would receive carbon credits under the EU’s RED III directive, and a lack of local hydrogen infrastructure at Eemshaven meant that the project was unable to secure offtake agreements.

Memorandum of understanding on strategic ammonia collaboration

Polymer manufacturer Covestro has signed a memorandum of understanding with ammonia and urea exporter Fertiglobe and chemical producer TA’ZIZ to explore collaboration across the ammonia and nitric acid value chains. The MoU reflects the parties’ shared interest in assessing both near-term supply solutions and longer-term opportunities supporting the transition toward lower-carbon production pathways. The agreement was signed during the visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to the UAE.

Avalon seeking permits for hydrogen plant

Avalon Renovables says that it has begun the administrative process to obtain environmental permits for the company’s planned Arquillo green hydrogen plant at Jerez de la Frontera. The plant is one of eight green hydrogen plans planned as part of the Bays of Algeciras and Cádiz Project (PBAC), with pipeline tie-ins to the future green ammonia plant in Campo de Gibraltar. The plant will include a 47 MW solar voltaic power plant called Arquillo, feeding 35 MW of electrolysis capacity, with an estimated output of 4,900 t/a of hydrogen.