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The Union Cabinet approved a ?19,744 crore National Green Hydrogen mission.
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National Green Hydrogen Mission
- The Mission will “facilitate demand creation, production, utilisation and export of Green Hydrogen,”
- It aims to make India a ‘global hub’ for using, producing and exporting green hydrogen.
- It aims to incentivise the commercial production of green hydrogen and make India a net exporter of the fuel.
- The mission has laid out a target to develop green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) per annum.
- This is alongside adding renewable energy capacity of about 125 GW (gigawatt) in the country.
Submissions
- There are two umbrella sub-missions under the program.
- the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT), which will fund the domestic manufacturing of electrolyzers and produce green hydrogen.
- Support pilot projects in emerging end-use sectors and production pathways.
- States and regions capable of supporting large-scale production and/or utilisation of hydrogen will be identified and developed as Green Hydrogen Hubs.
Significance
- It can be used to generate electricity or as fuel in industries or vehicles.
- It will entail the decarbonisation of the industrial, mobility and energy sectors;
- reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock;
- developing indigenous manufacturing capabilities;
- creating employment opportunities; and developing new technologies such as efficient fuel cells.
Challenges
- Green hydrogen development is still in the nascent stages globally and while India can take the lead in being a major producer, it doesn’t have the necessary infrastructure yet.
- Optimizing plant designs and end-to-end green hydrogen systems can be costly and incredibly complex.
- Limited specialized workforce.
- Green hydrogen is also incredibly challenging to store and transport.
- It is a highly flammable gas with a low volumetric density, requiring investment in specialized pipelines and carriers.
- High energy losses. Green hydrogen loses a considerable amount of energy at every point in the supply chain
- Reduced knowledge on optimum design and return on investment, thus limiting bankability.
Suggestions and Way Ahead
- Green hydrogen, produced through a clean process, is rightly seen as the most dependable source of energy of the future.
- For India to realise ambitions, it must strengthen its small manufacturing and allied enterprises infrastructure along with large industries.
- India needs to announce incentives to convince enough users of industrial hydrogen to adopt green hydrogen.
- It needs to develop supply chains in the form of pipelines, tankers, intermediate storage and last-leg distribution networks as well as put in place an effective skill development programme to ensure that lakhs of workers can be suitably trained to adapt to a viable green hydrogen economy
Mains Practise Question [Q] Discuss the objectives of the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Why does India want to be a leading exporter of green hydrogen? |
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