Zero Footprint Industries Ltd (ZFI) has signed an Electrolyzer-as-a-Service (EAAS) agreement with Waaree Clean Energy Solutions Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Waaree Energies Limited, for the deployment of a 2.5 MW alkaline electrolyzer in Uttar Pradesh. The agreement also includes a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to supply up to 50 MW of electrolyzers through the EAAS model for multiple decentralised green hydrogen projects across northern India.

Under the terms of the long-term 15-year agreement, Waaree Clean Energy Solutions will design, engineer, manufacture, install, commission, own and operate the 2.5 MW alkaline electrolyzer system. The system will be manufactured at Waaree’s Dungri facility in Gujarat and will supply green hydrogen and oxygen to ZFI for its planned capacity expansion in Uttar Pradesh.

The project is expected to produce approximately 4.1 million Nm³ of green hydrogen and 2 million Nm³ of green oxygen annually. The output will primarily cater to ZFI’s existing industrial customers in the mentha oil, chemical, steel and pharmaceutical sectors, enabling a cost-neutral transition from grey hydrogen to green hydrogen and contributing to India’s broader net-zero objectives.

The electrolyzer system will have an initial production capacity of 500 m³ per hour, with scalability to nearly 10,000 m³ per hour across multiple locations over the next five years. The green hydrogen produced will support decarbonisation of process industries as well as inland transport applications, including road, rail and waterways.

The first project is being executed on a fast-track timeline of approximately seven months. Delivery of the electrolyzer stack is scheduled for the second quarter of FY 2026–27, with commercial operations expected by the third quarter of the same financial year.

Commenting on the development, Anuj Sharma, CEO – Hydrogen Business at Waaree, said the EAAS agreement presents an opportunity to demonstrate the company’s advanced alkaline electrolyzer technology and strong operations and maintenance capabilities, particularly in delivering decentralised, reliable and energy-efficient green hydrogen solutions.

Anurag Agarwal, Director at ZFI, stated that the collaboration will enable the establishment of multiple decentralised green hydrogen plants with a cumulative capacity of around 10,000 m³ per hour, potentially abating approximately 70,000 metric tonnes of carbon annually upon commissioning — equivalent to planting nearly 400,000 trees.

Shardul Kulkarni, MD & CEO of Deesha Power Solutions and Board Advisor to ZFI, noted that the EAAS model reflects the maturing green hydrogen market in India and globally, offering a financially and technically viable structure that benefits both project developers and electrolyzer manufacturers.

The project is supported by the Uttar Pradesh New & Renewable Development Agency (UPNEDA) under its Green Hydrogen Policy 2024. It also aligns with India’s 5 MMTPA green hydrogen production target under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.