In a significant milestone under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), ACME Cleantech Solutions Private Limited (ACME Group) has secured long-term offtake deal with leading Japanese companies – IHI Corporation for Green Ammonia and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. (MGC) for Green Methanol during a ceremony held at Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan, New Delhi. NGHM, approved in January 2023 with an outlay of `19,744 crore, aims to position India as a global hub for the production, utilisation, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives. Under the Mission, the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Programme provides financial support for production through a transparent bidding process conducted by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). ACME Group has been awarded a production capacity of 3,70,000 tonnes per annum under the SIGHT Programme, forming the foundation for these export-oriented agreements.
Under the deal with IHI Corporation, ACME will supply a total of 4,05,000 tonnes per annum (405 kTPA) of green ammonia. This arrangement is supported by Japan’s Contract for Difference (CfD) scheme for low-carbon ammonia, administered by METI, which provides price support to Japanese off-takers, thereby ensuring the long-term commercial viability of such imports.
ACME has also signed a 10-year agreement with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. for the supply of 1,00,000 tonnes per annum (100 kTPA) of green methanol from its Paradip facility. The project is aligned with global decarbonisation goals, particularly in the maritime sector, and is designed to meet European Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) requirements as well as International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards for cleaner marine fuels.
Commenting on the development, MNRE minister Pralhad Joshi said, “I welcome Japan’s decision to extend its CfD subsidy support to the ACME-IHI Green Hydrogen project. It reflects the growing global confidence in India’s green hydrogen ecosystem and our emergence as a trusted partner in the global clean energy transition.”
