Mumbai - 14.11.2025
- Hon'ble Minister inaugurated the Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) Pilot Plant at HPCL Green R&D Centre on November 11, 2025.
- Praised the R&D Centre, where over 150 scientists, including 37% women leaders, are driving innovation towards Energy Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
- Commended HPCL's efforts in advancing Green Hydrogen, Biofuels, and Sustainable Solutions.
Mumbai, November 14, 2025: The Hon'ble Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, visited the Hindustan Petroleum Green Research & Development Centre (HPGRDC) in Bengaluru. He was received by HPCL Chairman and Managing Director, Shri Vikas Kaushal; Director - Refineries, Shri S. Bharathan; and Executive Director - Corporate R&D, Shri Vipul Kumar Maheshwari.
The Hon'ble Minister appreciated the state-of-the-art HPCL Green R&D Centre, where over 150 scientists, including 37% women leaders, are driving innovation and propelling India toward an Energy Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
During the visit, the Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) Pilot Plant was inaugurated by the Hon'ble Minister. The facility converts seaweed into bio-crude and other valuable bio-products, representing a major stride toward sustainable bioenergy and marks a key step in furthering HPCL's pursuit of innovation-driven energy solutions.
The Hon'ble Minister emphasized the importance of strengthening research and development across the oil and gas sector and encouraged HPCL to explore commercial opportunities in both existing and emerging energy areas to enhance India's competitiveness in global manufacturing. He commended HPCL's ongoing efforts in Green Hydrogen, Biofuels, and Sustainable Solutions, highlighting HPGRDC's contribution towards the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision through indigenous research and technology commercialization.
A flex-fuel retrofit kit for two-wheelers was showcased at HPGRDC's Engine Laboratory as part of ongoing technical efforts to enable operations on higher ethanol blends, supporting India's ethanol-blending and cleaner-mobility goals. A state-of-the-art battery research facility at HPGRDC is advancing work on Lithium-ion, Sodium-ion, and Vanadium Redox Flow batteries, including the successful development of a 1 kW Lithium-ion pack made from in-house cells. Additionally, HPGRDC has achieved a 1 MW-equivalent short-stack demonstration of indigenous Alkaline and AEM electrolysers, enabling cost-effective green hydrogen production.
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