Technological Advancements in Compression Technology to Accelerate India’s Hydrogen Economy

PDC Machines and Kirloskar Pneumatic Company Limited (KPCL) have entered into an agreement to offer hydrogen compression solutions throughout India. As part of the agreement, PDC will provide its diaphragm compressors for various industries and applications in the country, with a focus on hydrogen refuelling. India is planning significant government investment in the hydrogen industry over the next decade.

This partnership allows PDC to have a dedicated partner to support the local Indian hydrogen market and expand its presence in Asia by leveraging KPCL’s existing customer base. KPCL will now offer PDC diaphragm compression technology as part of its product portfolio and will have access to PDC’s aftermarket services to provide expert support to customers, both remotely and in the field. Additionally, they will support industrial and specialty gas applications in the region.

According to Kareem Afzal, Executive Chairman for PDC Machines, this collaboration will enable both KPCL and PDC to support India’s hydrogen ambitions at a critical time for the emerging industry. Earlier this year, India announced plans to implement pilot projects using green hydrogen in the shipping and steel sectors, with an estimated cost of Rs. 570 cores ($68.6m).

The India Hydrogen Alliance (IH2A) forecasts that the country’s hydrogen equipment market could reach $45-50 billion by 2050. The Alliance predicts that electrolyzer stacks will account for 34% of the addressable market, while balance of plant equipment will make up 62% and specialist engineering services will represent 4% of the market.