The deal with Larsen & Toubro represents the third strategic agreement Eden has secured in the country in the past six months.
Eden said the agreement would ensure its range of hydrogen-based fuels and technologies were in full production in India by the end of next year.
Eden has been actively marketing Hythane in India for 30 months and has several demonstration projects planned for later this year and early 2008.
The technologies set for manufacture include onsite hydrogen-generating systems developed by HyRadix – a Chicago-based specialist acquired by Eden two weeks ago.
HyRadix systems have already been installed in California, China and Malaysia for use in transport, oil hydrogenation and metal annealing.
To begin immediately, Stage 1 involves Larsen & Toubro upscaling two hydrogen reformers owned by HyRadix and preparing to manufacture Eden’s technologies.
In addition, the partnership intends to complete a feasibility study and cashflow model, as well as sign a formal JV contract for all three stages.
The second stage, which is due to begin in about three months, will see the engineering company manufacture two hydrogen reformers for use in Indian Hythane demonstration projects, due to be undertaken by Eden involving both public buses and power generators.
Planned for 2008, the third stage will result in a 50:50 joint venture to cover the ongoing manufacturing and marketing of Eden’s technology range.
Eden said this latest agreement was its third and most significant development in India in recent months.
Eden is already working with one of India’s largest energy groups, Gujarat State Petroleum, to market Hythane throughout the industrial state of Gujarat.
The Australian company has also secured a 10-year agreement with India’s large bus and heavy transport group, Ashok Leyland, to convert its natural gas bus engines to operate on Hythane.
“The agreement is the catalyst we needed to convert the potential of our hydrogen technologies into commercial reality in a large-scale, targeted market,” Eden executive chairman Greg Solomon said today.
Solomon said India, with a population of more than 1.1 billion people and a current GDP growth rate of more than 8% per annum, was the best market in the world for Eden’s hydrogen and Hythane products and technology.
“The country has a rapidly expanding industrial sector and many of these industries require hydrogen for various processes,” he said.
“Under the commitments covered in today’s agreement, Eden can now deliver hydrogen to the door of these customers, regardless of location difficulties.”
