John Cockerill targets 2 GW green hydrogen electrolyser capacity in India by 2029; eyes modular CSP for next growth phase

Time of India

12-05-2025

Mumbai: Belgium-based global industrial group,
John Cockerill
, is expanding its green energy operations in India with plans to double its electrolyzer manufacturing capacity from 1 GW to 2 GW by 2029 and is focusing on modular concentrated solar power (
CSP
) systems, said
Vivek Bhide
, Regional President, India and Group Transformation Officer - John Cockerill.
'India will account for a significant share of our
green hydrogen
business globally. We are one of the few players with confirmed demand already secured,' Bhide told
ETEnergyWorld
in an exclusive interaction.
The company is also expanding into defense manufacturing, nuclear servicing support, and pursuing steel decarbonization technologies in response to India's net-zero and economic ambitions.
John Cockerill's electrolyzer capacity in India is being developed under a joint venture with AM Green (formerly
Greenko
) in Kakinada,
Andhra Pradesh
. The company has also secured a PLI allocation for 300 MW per year.
Green Hydrogen Strategy
The company plans to make its initial 1 GW line operational by 2026 and expand it to 2 GW by 2029, said Bhide.
He added that pressurized alkaline electrolyzer technology, designed for industrial-scale applications, will be used and the anchor customer will be AM Green, for downstream green ammonia and methanol production.
'We have won the PLI scheme for almost 300 MW capacity year-over-year. We are confident that with the first order that we have won from Greenko and the second order that is in the works, our Kakinada facility will be sold out for a couple of years,' he added.
India aims to install 12–14 GW of electrolyzer capacity by 2030 to meet its 5 MMT green hydrogen target. Bhide said that the company expects to supply at least 2 GW, or about 15 per cent of that total. 'Most players are waiting for demand signals. We already have them. That's a major differentiator,' he added.
He said that with green hydrogen markets in the US and Europe slowing due to subsidy uncertainties and off-take delays, India is emerging as a more stable growth engine.
Bhide added that in addition to manufacturing, the company is also building a large engineering and O&M services team in India so that a lot of the development in the green hydrogen technology for it happens here itself.
Steel and Defense
On other segments of operations, Bhide said that they are focusing on the steel and defense sectors with an aim to localise with a low-carbon technology push.
'John Cockerill sees major opportunities in steel decarbonization, aligning with India's plan to scale capacity to 300 MTPA by 2030 and 500 MTPA by 2047. The company provides energy-efficient and low-emission processing technologies, including direct reduction systems compatible with green hydrogen,' he said.
It also manufactures components locally at two sites in India and is investing in new engineering and project management teams to handle the transition.
In the defense sector, the company is working with L&T to supply 25-tonne light tanks equipped with a 105mm turret, currently undergoing testing for deployment in high-altitude regions. A full rollout is expected post-summer trials.
'We cannot really take the large tanks in the Ladakh region. So, the Indian government wants us to bring in the technology to produce light tanks, which are about 25 tonnes compared to the traditional 150 tonne or 160 tonne tanks. Currently our prototype, which is in combination with L&T, is under testing,' he said.
Bhide added that the second prototype will go into summer trials this year and then after a year of testing the company will be producing the light tanks in India.
'In everything that we have done, we have also focused on localisation, developing the local supply chain, and then being relevant in the Indian market,' he said.
Modular CSP and Nuclear Services
Bhide said that there are only 5-6 large CSP installations globally today and added that shifting India's focus to dispatchable power, and modular CSP is critical.
CSP is designed with thermal energy storage to provide round-the-clock renewable power. The company is awaiting NTPC's upcoming CSP tender expected in Q3 2025, added Bhide.
'These large projects are highly capital intensive. We are focusing on a modular version of the CSP in India. It allows us to look at a smaller, less capital intensive option to be brought into the Indian market,' he said.
He added that the cost can be reduced not just by its smaller modular offering, but also by localising the critical components and the supply chain.
The firm has signed a JV with L&T to develop cost-effective, CSP plants. 'How do we really partner with L&T to develop an effective supply chain in the Indian market will be the focus of this MoU,' added Bhide.
The company is also preparing to offer nuclear servicing expertise in support of India's goal of deploying 100 GW of nuclear capacity. He said that the company is preparing to enter the market by offering maintenance and service solutions.
'We service most nuclear plants in Europe—we're now looking to do the same in India as the market opens up. For India to reach the 100 GW nuclear energy target, it will require almost 10 SMRs and the first ones of these should get operational in the next 3 years,' Bhide added.
The company expects to focus on O&M, diagnostics, and reliability engineering, especially as India builds domestic and international capacity to deploy SMRs in line with its decarbonization and grid-balancing needs.
'We are committed to India as a core growth market—not just for manufacturing, but for technology and services across hydrogen, CSP, and nuclear. But to move at the pace India is targeting, we need clearer demand signals from policymakers, he added.
On Policy Front
Despite a strong policy narrative, Bhide highlighted that India's hydrogen, CSP, and nuclear sectors still face investor hesitation due to unclear demand pathways.
'Everyone wants to be the first to be second. But India's scale and urgency require first-movers to be supported—not stalled by outdated bankability metrics, he added.
He also stressed on the importance of shifting the conversation from unit cost per kWh to portfolio-level integration and long-term decarbonization—especially for hard-to-abate sectors like steel and refining.
On CSP and nuclear, Bhide said India's goals are promising but must be supported with tenders, clear financing mechanisms, and capacity-building efforts across the supply chain.
'It takes time to move a system this large, but India has already laid the groundwork… Now we need execution—and conviction,' he added.
While green hydrogen investment has slowed globally, Bhide said India's mix of policy ambition, industrial demand, and cost focus makes it a prime market—provided finance mechanisms and regulatory frameworks evolve.