Toyota bets on green hydrogen beyond mobility in new partnership with Ohmium

Indian Express

8 hours ago

Car maker Toyota Kirloskar Motor and US-headquartered Ohmium International, which manufactures electrolysers in India, have announced plans to jointly develop a scalable green hydrogen-based microgrid system. Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Wednesday, Toyota will contribute its global expertise in fuel cell technology, while Ohmium will bring its electrolyser capabilities to explore the potential of self-contained water-to-hydrogen-to-electricity systems for applications beyond mobility — such as domestic gensets and hard-to-abate industrial sectors.
A hydrogen-based microgrid uses water to produce hydrogen through electrolysis, which is then either stored for later use or fed into a fuel cell to generate electricity on demand. A year ago, Ohmium's 2-gigawatt (GW) polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer manufacturing facility became operational in Bengaluru. Toyota, which has been investing in hydrogen fuel cell technologies since 1992, recently unveiled its third-generation fuel cell system for heavy-duty trucks and other commercial applications.
This first-of-its-kind partnership with Ohmium will allow Toyota to explore the role of hydrogen in building a broader energy ecosystem — not just for transport, but for decentralised, off-grid power generation.
'Toyota's fuel cell technology isn't limited to mobility — it has a range of applications like industrial uses, domestic gensets, and more. Ohmium is among the first Indian companies manufacturing electrolysers, with deep domain expertise in producing hydrogen on-site using renewable energy. It's a complementary partnership,' Sudeep Dalvi, Toyota Kirloskar Motor's senior vice president and head state affairs, told The Indian Express.
In a press release, the automakers said, 'Together, both the parties will assess the feasibility of integrated green hydrogen–driven power solutions such as the microgrid, which can be applied across diverse use cases like data centres, far-away locations sensitive to environmental restrictions etc., thereby supporting India's national energy transition goals'.
'As a part of the initiative, TKM will offer technical expertise, system integration support, and supply fuel cell modules. Ohmium will lead the design, development, and performance evaluation of the microgrid solution prototype,' the release said.
In the mobility space, Toyota has long advocated a multi-pathway approach to reducing carbon emissions, supporting technologies like hybrids, electric vehicles (EVs), and fuel cells. Since 2014, it has sold approximately 28,000 units of its Mirai hydrogen fuel cell EV (FCEV), and since 2019, it has supplied over 2,700 fuel cell systems for other applications, including buses, railroads, and stationary power generators.
'At this stage, the partnership is a joint prototyping effort aimed at understanding the challenges, assessing potential outputs, and then arriving at a solution or application that fits specific use cases. We haven't yet defined the final target, but we're actively exploring how these two technologies (electrolyser and fuel cell) can come together,' Dalvi said.
According to Vikram Gulati, Toyota Kirloskar Motor's country head and executive vice president, hydrogen has several benefits that make it an attractive fuel for decarbonisation. 'If you look at the volumetric energy density of compressed hydrogen, it's about seven times that of a battery. Second, India is well endowed with renewable energy. We can harness solar power to electrolyze water, producing hydrogen and oxygen. When the cycle is reversed (as in a fuel cell), the only by-product is water — making hydrogen a clean energy carrier,' he said.
'Third, hydrogen can store energy for long durations. It's highly portable, versatile, and flexible in terms of applications. More importantly, it can be used in sectors that are otherwise hard to decarbonize — such as steel, cement, and fertilizers — making it a natural go-to energy carrier,' Gulati added.
Despite its potential, hydrogen has faced criticism for being too niche and not yet scalable. However, Toyota believes microgrid solutions like the ones it is exploring can expand use cases and improve viability.
'We believe hydrogen should not be restricted to just mobility. The economic viability of hydrogen depends on how widely it is adopted. Expanding its use across industries can create the scale needed to bring costs down,' Dalvi said.
Earlier in 2022, Toyota Kirloskar Motor had launched a demonstration project of its Mirai FCEV in collaboration with the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), a government-owned testing agency. It later partnered with Kerala for an FCEV feasibility study and signed an MoU with Ashok Leyland to supply fuel cell modules to develop prototypes of hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles.
Aggam Walia is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, reporting on power, renewables, and mining. His work unpacks intricate ties between corporations, government, and policy, often relying on documents sourced via the RTI Act. Off the beat, he enjoys running through Delhi's parks and forests, walking to places, and cooking pasta. ... Read More