India's NTPC to build $21bn green energy mega-plant with 20GW of renewables

India’s largest power group NTPC is ready to start building a $21bn green energy complex that will include 20GW of renewable generation capacity, said the Indian government.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will later this week lay the foundation stone at NTPC Green Energy’s green hydrogen hub at Pudimadaka in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

The project aims to produce 1,500 tonnes per day of green hydrogen and 7,500 tonnes daily of derivatives such as methanol, urea and sustainable aviation fuel, mainly aimed at export markets, said an Indian government statement which did not give a timeframe for the project.

NTPC has not so far responded to a request for further details on the composition and offtake plans for the 20GW of renewables mentioned in the government’s statement, a volume that would make Pudimadaka one of the largest green power generation facilities in Indian and Asia as a whole.

NTPC and the Andhra Pradesh government in November 2024 signed a joint venture to co-develop up to 25GW of wind and solar that they said would be used for green fuels production and to help the state meet its wider renewable power goals.

NTPC, India’s largest power generator, aims to have 60GW of renewables on its books by 2032, up from around 6GW now.

The Pudimadaka facility will be the first green hydrogen hub to advance under India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, through which the nation aims to spur five million tonnes a year of green hydrogen production annually by 2030.

As well as green fuel production it is earmarked to host manufacturing of equipment such as electrolysers, fuel cells and solar modules.