Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has entered into a strategic partnership with Norway-based Hystar AS to enable the phased indigenisation and local manufacturing of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyser systems for green hydrogen projects in India.
The collaboration is aimed at strengthening India’s domestic electrolyser manufacturing capabilities and supporting the country’s growing green hydrogen ecosystem. Under the agreement, BHEL and Hystar will work towards progressively increasing local content in PEM electrolyser systems, creating a pathway for their manufacture in India.
The agreement was signed by Y. Srinivas Rao, Executive Director, Heavy Power Equipment Plant, Hyderabad, and Sutripto De, General Manager & Head, New & Renewable Energy Business, on behalf of BHEL. Fredrik Mowill, CEO of Hystar, signed the agreement on behalf of the Norwegian company.
The signing ceremony was attended by Arvinn Eikeland Gadgil, Chargé d’Affaires, Royal Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi, along with Bani Varma, Director, Industrial Systems & Products, BHEL; S. M. Ramanathan, Director, Engineering, Research & Development, BHEL; and other senior officials.
Expanding BHEL’s Electrolyser Portfolio
The partnership marks another step in BHEL’s efforts to build a comprehensive electrolyser portfolio for India’s emerging green hydrogen market.
Earlier this year, BHEL entered into a strategic tie-up with thyssenkrupp nucera India Private Limited for alkaline electrolyser systems. With the latest agreement with Hystar, BHEL is expanding its capabilities to include both alkaline and PEM electrolyser technologies.
PEM electrolysers use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen and are particularly suited to applications requiring rapid response to fluctuating renewable power generation. The technology can therefore play an important role in integrating renewable energy with green hydrogen production.
By combining its engineering, manufacturing and project execution capabilities with Hystar’s PEM electrolyser technology, BHEL aims to strengthen its ability to deliver green hydrogen projects in India.
Boost to Domestic Green Hydrogen Manufacturing
The planned localisation of PEM electrolyser systems could contribute to the development of an indigenous supply chain for green hydrogen equipment, reducing dependence on imported systems and components over time.
The collaboration also aligns with India’s broader push to develop domestic manufacturing capabilities across the clean-energy value chain and scale up green hydrogen production.
With access to both alkaline and PEM technologies, BHEL is positioning itself as one of the few Indian companies capable of offering multiple electrolyser solutions to meet the requirements of different green hydrogen projects.
The partnership is expected to further strengthen BHEL’s project execution capabilities and support the deployment of green hydrogen infrastructure as India accelerates its transition towards low-carbon energy.
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