Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) recently announced the ground breaking ceremony of the hydrogen innovation center at Tamil Nadu Investor's Conclave 2024 which was held at Chennai. The innovation center is being established through a strategic alliance with Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Guidance Tamil Nadu, supported by the State Government of Tamil Nadu. Innovation in the sector of hydrogen technology will be boosted by the new facility.
The Ground Breaking ceremony of the project was done virtually by Thiru M. K. Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, in the presence of Dr. T R B Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu, Arun Roy (IAS), Industries Secretary, Vishnu (IAS), Guidance MD, Gopalakrishnan Chathapuram Sivaramakrishnan, Whole-time Director and Chief Manufacturing Officer - Hyundai Motor India Limited, and Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director - Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), senior officials from Guidance Tamil Nadu, along with other senior state government officials.
An investment of INR 180 crores has been made for this facility. Spanning across 65,000 sq ft within the IIT Madras Thaiyur campus in Chennai, the hydrogen innovation center aligns with HMIL's goal of strengthening Tamil Nadu as a hub of automation innovation and giving a push to advancements in introduction of alternate fuels. Additionally, this development will aid in reducing Tamil Nadu's carbon footprints.
Commenting on the announcement, Gopalakrishnan Chathapuram Sivaramakrishnan, Whole-time Director and Chief Manufacturing Officer (CMO), HMIL, said, "Hyundai Motor India Limited remains committed to being a strategic partner in Tamil Nadu government's vision of building a sustainable ecosystem for transition towards alternate fuels. We are hopeful the upcoming hydrogen innovation centre will accelerate hydrogen mobility adoption in Tamil Nadu. HMIL will be investing towards facility construction at the IIT Madras Thaiyur campus in Chennai. In line with our global vision of ‘Progress for Humanity', this facility will serve as a key enabler to advance hydrogen as an eco-friendly, emission-less future source of propulsion for mass-mobility solutions."
Speaking about the partnership, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director - IITM said, "IIT Madras has continued to be the forerunner in India's transformation into a technology and innovation superpower. Furthering this journey, the Institute is honored to partner with Hyundai Motor India Limited and Guidance Tamil Nadu, to develop a dedicated research facility which we envisage, will create break-through innovations in the field of hydrogen mobility. The hydrogen innovation centre will serve as a catalyst for hydrogen technology innovations, creating a robust ecosystem for start-ups and researchers."
The hydrogen innovation center will be equipped with facilities such as electrol electrolyzer test rig, electrolyzer/ fuel cell fabrication line, fuel cell test station, operational and diagnostic twin for hydrogen infrastructure, pilot demonstrators using electrolyzers and fuel cells, and hydrogen refueling stations. The facility is expected to be fully operational by the year 2026.
The hydrogen innovation center spans over 65,000 sq ft within the IIT Madras in Thaiyur campus in Chennai.
