For the third time in a row, state-run Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) has scrapped the tender to build the country’s first green hydrogen plant at its Panipat refinery in Haryana. The tender was significant as it was the first effort by an Indian company to determine the price of green hydrogen through a bidding or market-driven exercise. On Monday, IOCL on its website updated the tender status to “cancelled”. Industry sources said IOCL cancelled the tender after it received only two bids, one being from its joint venture partner, GH4 India.
ET had on July 16 reported that only two companies—GH4India and Noida-based Neometrix Engineering—had submitted bids in response to the tender. GH4India is an equal joint venture between IOCL, renewable energy company ReNew and engineering major Larsen & Toubro.
“It is unfortunate that the tender has been cancelled yet again alluding to accusations of preferential treatment towards GH4 India. This time round IOCL had addressed the industry’s concerns.”
