Tata Steel has become India’s first steel company to demonstrate end-to-end capabilities in developing pipes for hydrogen transportation, marking a key milestone in the country’s National Hydrogen Mission.
The API X65 ERW pipes, produced at Tata Steel’s Khopoli plant using steel from its Kalinganagar facility, successfully met all critical properties for hydrogen transport. The hydrogen qualification tests were conducted at RINA-CSM S.p.A in Italy, a leading agency for hydrogen-related testing. These newly developed API X65 grade pipes can transport 100pct pure gaseous hydrogen at high pressure (100 bar).
Tata Steel’s R&D team played a pivotal role in the entire technology development, from designing hot-rolled steel to manufacturing the final pipes, all done in-house. In 2024, Tata Steel also became the first Indian company to produce hot-rolled steel for hydrogen transportation.
The National Hydrogen Mission aims to develop India’s capacity to produce at least 5 mln tons of green hydrogen annually by 2030, with potential expansion to 10 mln tons for exports. Demand for hydrogen-compliant steel is expected to begin in 2026-27, requiring approximately 350,000 tons of steel over the next 5-7 years. While various transport methods exist, steel pipelines remain the most cost-effective option for large-scale hydrogen transportation.
