Asahi India Glass Limited (AIS), India’s leading glass manufacturer, and INOX Air Products (INOXAP), India’s largest manufacturer of industrial and medical gases, have entered into a 20-year offtake agreement for supply of Green Hydrogen, to AIS’ greenfield float glass facility in Soniyana in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.
Float glass is a type of flat glass produced through a process where molten glass is floated on a bath of molten metal (typically tin) to produce a uniform and consistent thickness, flatness and surface quality.
This will be India’s first-ever Green Hydrogen Plant for the Float Glass industry, paving the way for sustainable glass production. The Plant will have the capacity to generate up to 190 Tons of Green Hydrogen per Annum through the electrolysis process. Slated to be commissioned by July 2024, the plant will be powered by solar energy.
INOXAP is responsible for the design, engineering, installation, operations and a continuous supply of Green Hydrogen to the AIS facility for 20 years. In the first phase, 95 TPA Green Hydrogen will be supplied to AIS. As a part of the agreement, AIS will invest in the solar power plant, which would supply renewable energy for the generation of Green Hydrogen, which would be consumed in AIS’ float glass manufacturing process.
Speaking on the occasion, Rupinder Shelly, COO-Architectural Glass, Asahi India Glass Ltd, said, “As a leading and responsible glass company, AIS is a strong believer in sustainability. Our partnership with INOX Air Products, for Green Hydrogen underlines the same belief. It is a matter of immense pride that AIS’ Soniyana Float Glass facility will be the first-ever plant in the Float Glass industry in India to be powered by Green Hydrogen.
AIS continues to invest in and build capabilities in Sustainability, Circularity, and De-carbonization. Our greenfield plant at Soniyana targets to use 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 releasing through chimney. This pioneering initiative not only exemplifies our shared vision for a greener future but also reinforces India’s position as a global leader in renewable energy adoption.”
AIS is setting up a greenfield project in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan for manufacturing high-quality float glass to be used for automotive and architectural purposes with technology collaboration from its partners – AGC Europe. The agreement with INOX Air Products for setting up a Green Hydrogen plant for this project is a part of AIS’ overall sustainability strategy and is inspired by their vision to reduce carbon footprint in the glass manufacturing process.
Commenting on the development, Siddharth Jain, Managing Director – INOX Air Products, stated, “We are proud to begin our Green Hydrogen journey as we partner with AIS for their Chittorgarh facility and giving shape to our first Green Hydrogen Plant as well as India’s first-ever Green Hydrogen plant for the Float Glass sector. This development would substantially reduce CO2 emissions with a reduction of 1250 MTPA.
The trust shown by AIS in our capabilities is a testament to our expertise in safety, technology and project management. Green Hydrogen will play a pivotal role in India’s energy transition towards de-carbonization and secure energy for our country as well as the planet. Under the strong leadership of PM Modi, our country has laid tremendous focus on Green economy, supported by a comprehensive National Green Hydrogen Mission and an ambition to make India net-zero by 2070. Green Growth is the way forward, and we are firmly committed to driving significant sustainability in India’s manufacturing sector.”
About INOX Air Products:
INOX Air Products is the largest manufacturer of Industrial & Medical Gases in India. The company offers a unique portfolio of gases, equipment and services through a massive manufacturing capacity of 4200 TPD of liquid gases delivered from 48 operating locations. With our extensive network of operations, and a vastly diverse client ecosystem, INOX Air Products empowers more than 1800 small, medium and large manufacturing organizations across dozens of sectors, enabling and empowering them on their way to achieve their vision. In our glorious journey of more than half a century, we have made massive strides on all the metrics of our business operations, by our sheer reliance on our virtues of customer-centricity, transparency and delivering value through quality. We take pride in our 1400 strong workforce, working tirelessly across the country, unleashing the virtues of integrity and innovativeness, well complemented by their ready-to-serve spirit.
Established in 1963 by the Jain Family as Industrial Oxygen Company Ltd in Pune, Maharashtra, the Company aimed to augment and capitalize upon the rapid industrialization taking place in the country. In 1999, Air Products & Chemicals Inc., USA acquired a 50% stake in the Company, giving birth to INOX Air Products. The venture remains till date, one of the longest Indo-American partnerships in the manufacturing sector.
About Asahi India Glass Ltd (AIS)
Asahi India Glass Ltd. (AIS) is India’s leading integrated glass and window solutions company and a dominant player both in the automotive and architectural glass segments. It commands a majority share of more than 45% in the architectural value-added glass segment and over 74% share in the Indian passenger car glass segment. Started in 1987, AIS’ footprint today spans the entire spectrum of the automotive and architectural glass value chains.
