Which company became the first in India to develop steel pipes for hydrogen transportation?

Correct option is B

Correct Answer: (b)
Explanation
· Tata Steel became the first Indian steel company to develop steel pipes specifically designed for the transportation of 100% pure gaseous hydrogen.
· The company successfully developed API X65 grade pipes that met all critical requirements for high-pressure hydrogen transport.
· These pipes were processed at Tata Steel’s Khopoli plant (Maharashtra) using hot-rolled steel manufactured at its Kalinganagar plant (Odisha).
Information Booster
· Certification: The pipes underwent rigorous testing at RINA-CSM S.p.A in Italy, a leading agency for hydrogen-related testing, confirming their suitability for transporting hydrogen at high pressure (100 bar).
· Significance: This development is a crucial step towards the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which aims to make India a global hub for the production and export of green hydrogen. Transporting hydrogen requires specialized steel because standard pipes can suffer from hydrogen embrittlement (weakening of the metal).
Additional Knowledge
· Jindal Steel & Power (a): A major player in the steel sector, but Tata Steel holds the specific distinction of being the first to announce this successful end-to-end development and testing for hydrogen-specific pipes in India.
· SAIL (d): The Steel Authority of India Limited is a central PSU. While it produces various grades of steel for oil and gas (like API 5L), the specific milestone for hydrogen transport pipes belongs to Tata Steel.
· Hindalco Industries (c): Primarily an aluminium and copper manufacturing company (part of the Aditya Birla Group), not a primary steel pipe manufacturer for this specific application.