Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) has invited bids for the design, engineering, supply and supervision of installation and commissioning of an 800 m³/hr portable or modular cooling water system for its 2.4 KTPA Green Hydrogen Generation Unit (GHGU) at Numaligarh in Assam.
The tender, identified by reference number PUR1012723, was issued on October 1, 2026, and is being processed through the Government of India’s e-procurement system. NRL’s current tender listing confirms a bid submission deadline of 15 October 2026 at 11:00 am, with bids scheduled to open on 16 October 2026 at 11:00 am.
The procurement represents another step in the development of supporting systems for NRL’s green hydrogen facility, which is being established within the refinery premises in Golaghat district.
NRL seeks cooling water system for green hydrogen unit
The scope of the tender covers the complete engineering and supply requirements for an 800 cubic metre per hour cooling water system, along with supervision of its installation and commissioning.
NRL has specified a portable or modular configuration, indicating that the system is being procured as an integrated utility package for the Green Hydrogen Generation Unit rather than as part of the hydrogen production technology itself.
The tender is structured as a two-cover online bidding process, comprising technical/pre-qualification documentation and the financial bid. The Government of India’s e-procurement listing identifies it as an open works tender under NRL.
Only bids submitted through the designated electronic procurement system will be considered.
₹15.54 lakh EMD specified for bidders
The tender requires participating bidders to submit an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of ₹15.54 lakh.
The EMD can be provided through the mechanisms specified by NRL, including a bank guarantee or an insurance surety bond from eligible institutions, subject to the tender conditions.
Micro and Small Enterprises and DPIIT-recognised startups can claim exemption from the EMD requirement if they submit the required registration documentation and Bid Security Declaration.
However, the exemption does not remove the tender’s requirements relating to technical experience and average annual turnover. This means eligible smaller enterprises would still have to satisfy NRL’s qualification criteria to participate.
The tender also contains provisions for Contract Performance Security. The precise value of the performance guarantee is not specified in the publicly available tender summary.
2.4 KTPA green hydrogen project has existing approval
The cooling-water procurement is linked to NRL’s 2.4 KTPA green hydrogen plant, equivalent to a production capacity of approximately 300 kg of hydrogen per hour.
NRL’s project documentation states that the green hydrogen plant is being established within the refinery premises and has been undertaken in line with India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission. The company has described the facility as an 18 MW green hydrogen plant.
The project was also included in an amendment to NRL’s environmental clearance. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change approved the amendment for inclusion of the 2.4 KTPA Green Hydrogen Generation Unit at Numaligarh.
NRL’s earlier project documentation put the approved cost of the green hydrogen plant at ₹170 crore. The company had previously stated that the project would replace around 5% of the refinery’s grey hydrogen consumption and could reduce approximately 24,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
These earlier project figures should be distinguished from the current cooling-water tender: the latest procurement is for a specific utility system supporting the hydrogen unit and does not represent the total cost of the green hydrogen project.
Green hydrogen to replace part of refinery’s grey hydrogen use
The 2.4 KTPA project forms part of NRL’s broader effort to reduce the carbon intensity of refinery operations.
NRL has said the green hydrogen facility is intended to replace a portion of the grey hydrogen currently used by the refinery. Its project documentation links the development to India’s green hydrogen policy framework and the expected Green Hydrogen Consumption Obligation for the refining sector.
Cooling infrastructure is a critical plant utility
A cooling-water system is an important utility in an electrolysis-based hydrogen facility because heat must be managed across equipment and associated process systems during operation.
The 800 m³/hr specification gives an indication of the scale of the utility infrastructure being planned around the hydrogen unit. However, the tender specification should not be interpreted as equivalent to 800 m³/hr of water consumption or withdrawal; the actual water balance and circulation arrangements depend on the final system design and tender requirements.
The procurement of this system also demonstrates that progress on a green hydrogen project extends beyond the electrolyser itself. Supporting utilities, electrical systems, water treatment, cooling, safety systems and integration with the existing refinery all form part of the infrastructure required before commercial operation.
Green hydrogen forms part of NRL’s wider refinery transition
NRL is simultaneously implementing a major refinery expansion that will increase its refining capacity from 3 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA. The company’s project documentation identifies the green hydrogen plant as one of the initiatives being developed alongside its wider refinery programme.
NRL has also set a target of achieving net zero by 2038, ahead of India’s national 2070 net-zero target. The company identifies green hydrogen as one component of its decarbonisation roadmap.
The latest cooling-water tender therefore sits within a much larger infrastructure programme at Numaligarh, where refinery expansion and lower-carbon energy systems are being developed in parallel.
Bioenergy Business Analysis
The tender is significant less because of its monetary value than because it provides a visible procurement-stage indicator of progress on NRL’s 2.4 KTPA green hydrogen project. The development of an 800 m³/hr cooling-water system shows that project execution involves a wider network of utility and balance-of-plant packages around the electrolyser.
For India’s refinery sector, NRL’s approach also illustrates one of the more immediate applications for green hydrogen: displacing a portion of existing grey hydrogen consumption within refining operations. This can provide an established industrial demand centre for renewable hydrogen without requiring the development of an entirely new end-use market.
