But it is easier said than done, as generating clean energy requires either large sources of water, strong windy areas, or sunlight exposure for long periods to utilize the investments involved in profits. And due to the huge diversity of natural resources scattered all around the world, all these factors play a significant role while investing in these ventures.
However, defying all these parameters of availability of these resources, we do have a strong competitor in our midst that allows the clean energy generation into a profitable venture and that is the gas called ‘Hydrogen’.
Coming up as the Blackhorse of the race, Hydrogen has often been touted as a green fuel of the future.
Possessing the potential to create limitless, emission-free and efficient energy, Hydrogen has come up as a leading contender amidst the global push for alternative sources of energy against currently dominant fossil fuels.
Conceiving the enormous potential, Green Hydrogen Economy in India has seen a wide range of initiatives to promote its research and usage over time.
Regardless, before exploring various policies and initiatives taken by the government to promote Green Hydrogen Economy in India, let’s survey the reasons for promoting hydrogen as a clean energy source as well as how exactly can we leverage Hydrogen as a green source of energy.
Unraveling Green Hydrogen Economy
Before explaining the Green Hydrogen Economy in India and its vision as a green fuel supplier, let us understand what does hydrogen economy stands for?
Simply put, Green Hydrogen economy can be referred to as using hydrogen in both fuel and in fuel cells, to decarbonize economic sectors that face hurdles to get electrified or switch to other sources of power.
Like vehicular emission, shipping, utility, aviation and heating represents some of the sectors where hydrogen can offer its services as an alternate source of energy.
Bypassing the handicap of fossil fuels, hydrogen represents itself dominant as a green fuel whose only by-product is water vapor.
Hydrogen Economy is therefore considered a great alternative source of energy that uses low to no carbon percentage emissions.
Reasons for Selecting Green Hydrogen Economy in India
As explained above, Green Hydrogen once combined with air, produces energy and water vapor with no other by-product and packs more energy per kg than other available fuels.
Apart from being a fuel, Green Hydrogen Economy in India also has its perks since green hydrogen acts as feedstock in the refining, fertilizer as well as in chemical industries, and is slowly replacing carbon as a feedstock in the iron and steel industry too.
Vision for Green Hydrogen Economy in India
Addressing the biggest move towards Green Hydrogen Economy in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the launch of the National Hydrogen Mission (NHM) on India’s 75th Independence Day to make India a global hub for production and export of Green Hydrogen.
On the backdrop of Union Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan statement in April this year about the hydrogen ecosystem development, when the Government of India announced its plan for the National Hydrogen Mission in the Union Budget 2021, several pilot projects based on Blue Hydrogen, Hydrogen CNG (H-CNG) and Green Hydrogen is on the move.
Reiterating Petroleum Minister’s statement, the government has reported to research on blending hydrogen with compressed natural gas as a transportation fuel as well as an industrial input to refineries.
According to the reports, around 50 buses in Delhi are currently running on blended hydrogen in Compressed Natural Gas on a pilot basis and further scaling of this blended fuel source could be seen across the major cities of India in the coming months.
Banking on immeasurable support from various institutions, research facilities and industrial players in the renewable field, the government of India has reported around 14 R&D projects, to propagate Green Hydrogen Economy in India, which has been pursued at the moment.
Also, the entry of private key players in promoting the Green Hydrogen Economy in India can’t be ignored.
Following the current trend, Reliance Industries Limited and its CEO Mukesh Ambani, have declared its investment to promote Hydrogen Economy in India as the company stated that the green Energy Giga Complex will have an electrolyzer factory for green hydrogen production, and a fuel cell factory.
To become a net-zero emissions company by 2035, RIL plans to invest Rs 75,000-crore in green energy in the coming years.
Adani Enterprises has also announced a partnership with Italian conglomerate Marie Tecnimont to develop Green Hydrogen projects in India.
Challenges and Future of Green Hydrogen Economy in India
Apart from infrastructure issues that hinder the large-scale adoption of hydrogen as a source of fuel, the most significant setback to making hydrogen as a source of fuel is the energy required to process it. Green Hydrogen is popular to be extremely difficult to extract.
Due to the volatile nature of Hydrogen and its storage issues, special containers are required to store it, thus increasing its production and maintenance costs.
Nevertheless, the ultimate aim of the government while promoting the Green Hydrogen Economy in India should be focused on bringing down the cost of green hydrogen to $1 per kg and producing at least five million metric tonnes per annum as the green hydrogen capacity by 2030 in India.
Hype around green power or clean energy is not going to slow down anytime soon as every country around the world has diverted their attention on how to harness a clean source of energy to become an energy generation powerhouse.
