A new agreement has been created between Asahi India Glass (AIS) and INOX Air Products (INOXAP), which involves a 20-year offtake agreement and will focus on supplying AIS with green hydrogen from INOXAP. The purpose of this plan is to provide a glass facility in Rajasthan, with green hydrogen for use in its operations.

The terms of this agreement include responsibilities for both companies, such as it being INOXAP’s job to construct a 190-tonne-per year green hydrogen plant. This is the plant that will be used to supply AIS’ greenfield float glass facility, located in Soniyana, Chittorgarh. The plan for this facility is for it be commissioned in July of 2024. On top of this, the industrial and medical gas supplier, will be dedicated to designing, engineering, installing and finally, operating the green hydrogen plant. Whilst, on the other hand, AIS’ responsibility will be based on investing in a solar power plant, which will power electrolysis.

Once the plan commences, the first phase will involve the AIS plant being supplied with 95-tonne-per-year green hydrogen. This will then lead into the process of manufacturing float glass, which will be undertaken by AIS. Once produced, the float glass will be suitable for use within the automotive and architectural industries, as soon as it is paired with technology from AGC Europe, the company’s partner.

Not only will this partnership be excellent for the development and expansion of both companies, but it will also bring huge benefits to the glass manufacturing process. Currently this process relies on the use of natural gas and oil melting raw materials, including sand and soda ash. Throughout this process, lots of Co2 is emitted and this is why the companies mentioned in this article are applying green hydrogen to this process. Green hydrogen will be used as a direct replacement for the heating process, consequently completely removing carbon dioxide emissions.

Chief Operating Officer-Architectural Glass at AIS, Rupinder Shelly, spoke about the Soniyana facility being ‘the “first-ever” float glass plant in India to be powered by green hydrogen.’

Shelly continued, “Our greenfield plant at Soniyana targets to [meet] 94% of its power requirements through green and sustainable energy sources. In addition to investment in solar power, AIS is investing to generate electricity from flue gases before releases through [the] chimney.”

Managing Director of INOXAP, Siddarth Jain, added, ‘the development would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,250 million tonnes per year.’