Larsen & Toubro Postpones 1 GW Electrolyser Manufacturing Expansion
Weak green hydrogen demand leads L&T to delay capacity expansion plans at its Hazira facility.
Quick Look
- Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has delayed expanding its electrolyser manufacturing capacity to 1 GW due to sluggish green hydrogen demand.
- The company maintains its current 400 MW capacity at Hazira, Gujarat, with plans to scale up once market conditions improve.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
L&T currently operates a 400 MW electrolyser manufacturing capacity. The company had previously targeted a 1 GW expansion by March 2027.
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has pushed back its plan to expand electrolyser manufacturing capacity to 1 GW, as weak green hydrogen demand weighs on investment, people familiar with the development said.
L&T Electrolysers Ltd (LTEL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of L&T Energy GreenTech Ltd, had planned to invest Rs 450-550 crore to establish the 1 GW manufacturing capacity at Hazira in Gujarat by March 2027. Its capacity currently stands at 400 MW.
"Demand for green hydrogen has not panned out as L&T expected, so the company has decided not to expand the capacity from 400 MW right now," an industry executive said on condition of anonymity.
Derek Shah, MD and CEO at L&T Energy GreenTech, told ET in an email response that the company's assembly line/robotic line capacity was sufficient to cater to the current domestic market demand.
"We are poised to quickly ramp up the assembly/manufacturing line to 1 GW as soon as the market open up and more projects are announced in the green hydrogen/green ammonia/green methanol space," Shah said.
Shah said that if all the projects announced for the domestic market and exports from India materialise, L&T's manufacturing facility can be ramped up to 1 GW within 12 to 18 months.
"Since the projects of green hydrogen and green ammonia plants typically take upwards of 30/40 months for completion, we do not envisage a challenge to ramp up the manufacturing of the electrolyser plant to required levels to meet the demands of the industry," he said.
L&T has so far invested ₹293 crore in the project. LTEL manufactures electrolysers based on pressurised alkaline technology under a technology licensing agreement with France-based McPhy Energy.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
L&T will ramp up to 1 GW capacity within 12-18 months if market demand materializes.
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- When will market demand for green hydrogen reach projected levels?
- What specific project milestones will trigger the resumption of expansion?
