India sets target to produce 5 MMT green hydrogen by 2030

New Delhi, July 8 (KNN) India is aiming to produce 5 million metric tons (MMT) of green hydrogen by 2030, Bhupinder S Bhalla, Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

Speaking at the concluding day of the International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2023) on July 7, Bhalla said that the government is planning to export 70 percent of the 5 MMT of green hydrogen it is aiming to produce.

“To generate domestic demand, the government plans to use demand aggregation and offer fixed incentives,” he said.

When asked about imposing consumption obligations on certain sectors to ensure demand creation, Bhalla said currently, no decision has been taken to mandate the use of green hydrogen in sectors such as oil and gas, fertilisers, steel and so on.

The National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) document, however, does have provisions for such mandates, and the Energy Conservation Act was amended in December of the previous year to enable enforcement of such mandates when they are decided upon.

Efforts are also underway to develop skills and create employment opportunities in the green hydrogen sector, the MNRE Secretary said. 

As per reports, academic associations, private universities, and organizations like the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) and the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) are working on designing specialized courses and skilling programs. 

During the conference, SSV Ramakumar, Director (R&D) of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), announced IOCL's plan to introduce 15 fuel cell-driven buses in Delhi-NCR this year, with routes connecting Faridabad-Delhi, Delhi-Agra, and potential extensions to cities like Baroda-Kevadia and Trivandrum-City Centre

The three-day conference hosted over 2,700 delegates, 135 speakers, seven plenary sessions, 16 technical sessions, and four-panel discussions.

KNN Bureau