Aus team visits Pudimadaka to explore NTPC plans for hydrogen eco-system park

Visakhapatnam: Senior officials from Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), a global green energy company, visited the Pudimadaka site of NTPC Simhadri Super Thermal Power Station in Anakapalle district on Saturday to explore the possibility of establishing a hydrogen eco-system park in Pudimadaka.

As per the corporate business development communication, NTPC is currently exploring the possibility of setting up a hydrogen eco-system park at Pudimadaka locality, over 45 km from Vizag city. As part of the initiative, senior officials from Fortescue Future Industries, the green energy arm of Fortesque Group, Australia, held discussions with CMD, NTPC, and visited the Pudimadaka site and Simhadri station.

FFI is a global green energy company committed to producing green hydrogen, containing zero carbon, from 100% renewable sources. The officials who visited the area were Allard Nooy, Malcolm Brailey, and Jeffrey Pearman from FFI, Nirup Jayant, NTPC consultant from Surbana Jurong, Ansha Naji, SM (BD), CC, NTPC, AK Mittal, and K. Prakash Rao, manager-HR (Pudimadaka).

In 2014, the Andhra Pradesh government allotted 1,200 acres of land at Pudimadaka to establish a 4,000MW thermal power plant. In March 2018, it was reported that the Union government had decided to minimise coal imports as the domestic coal reserves are adequate and that in response the ministry of Defence had refused permission for the construction of a captive port for the Pudimadaka Ultra-Modern Power Plant to import coal.

In June 2018, NTPC said it had decided not to move forward with the plant as the project was deemed "unviable." Now, NTPC is planning to explore possibilities for setting up a hydrogen eco-system park at Pudimadaka in consultation with Fortescue Future Industries (FFI). NTPC has also approached the energy department of Andhra Pradesh and APIIC and submitted its proposal for setting up the Park at the Pudimadaka site.