Tata's Gopalpur SEZ joins World Economic Forum for clean energy revolution

Tata Steel Special Economic Zone's Gopalpur Industrial Park (GIP) has joined the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Transitioning Industrial Clusters Initiative, which brings together public and private sector stakeholders from industrial clusters, to reduce CO2 emissions while driving economic growth and creating jobs.

This global initiative, implemented in collaboration with Accenture and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), seeks to accelerate large-scale decarbonisation by fostering industrial ecosystems that promote sustainability, energy efficiency, and green innovation, the Tata Steel Special Economic Zone Limited release said on Monday.

Located in Odisha's Ganjam district, GIP is fast emerging as a hub for green hydrogen/green ammonia and green energy equipment manufacturing.

With a clear focus on sustainability, GIP will bring together its own development goals and India's National Green Hydrogen Mission, which aims to position the country as a global leader in the production, utilisation, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.

"Gopalpur Industrial Park is proud to be part of this transformative initiative by the World Economic Forum", the Managing Director of Tata Steel Special Economic Zone Limited, Manikanta Naik, said.

"The ongoing rapid industrialisation of Odisha, which includes large clusters like GIP, is also offering new opportunities to dedicate our infrastructure and expertise to create a decarbonised future," Naik said.

He said the GIP by leveraging global best practices and innovative partnerships, aims to contribute significantly to India's clean energy targets.

"We expect a few more projects of similar nature to come up in GIP shortly," he said.

Stating that around 25 per cent of GIP's available land has been earmarked for green hydrogen/ammonia and renewable energy sectors, Naik said, "The GIP has also signed land leasing and blocking agreements with multiple green hydrogen players, facilitating a total capacity of more than 2 million tonnes per annum of green ammonia with an estimated multi-phased investment of more than Rs 27,000 crore..

With these investments in place, GIP will be able to contribute around 10 per cent of India's green hydrogen/ammonia production target by 2030 under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, he said.

GIP's infrastructure master plan has several key components, including a 2.5 km long, 60 m wide exclusive utility corridor connecting GIP to Gopalpur Port to ensure secured and efficient transportation of green ammonia for global exports, he added.