Green Hydrogen: India’s revolutionary approach towards Net Zero Emission 

By Suja Mary James 

Human life, socio-cultural, and economic development all depend on energy. Conventional fossil fuels including coal, gasoline, and natural gas have been exploited for over two decades, leading to unsustainable oil use, unrestrained exploitation, and major pollution. These non-renewable resources are therefore rapidly approaching degradation and exhaustion. More specifically, the intensifying energy issue is being exacerbated by the rapid economic transformation and escalating worldwide population rise. Given the ongoing difficulties faced by the dwindling fossil fuel supply and deteriorating environmental circumstances, the international community views sustainable development as a long-term issue. Rising energy demands, fluctuating fossil fuel prices, and significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel-powered vehicles and industries are the main causes of this fundamental transition. 

By 2030, it is anticipated that there will be more than 8 billion people on the planet, which would double the energy demand. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) claims that the demand for energy will increase as the global population expands. Over the next 30 years, the demand for energy will rise by 47%, mostly as a result of population growth and economic development in developing Asian countries. “Without significant technological advancements or legislative alterations, this will necessitate increased oil and natural gas production”. As per the EIA report, by 2050, 28% of the global energy demand will be met by liquid fuel, compared to 27% by renewable sources. This is based on a 36% rise in the demand for liquid fuels and a 165% increase in renewable energy from 2020 levels.

Renewable energy sources like wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal have drawn a lot of interest recently. These sources of energy don’t produce liquid or gaseous fuels for transportation. As a result, most nations are keen to create a new source of renewable energy. 

What is the National Green Hydrogen Mission and what is India’s hydrogen policy?

Over the next three to five decades, India’s economy is expected to expand to $20-30 trillion, and this expansion corresponds with our net zero commitments. The expansion of India’s economy and industry would be influenced by the affordability and abundance of energy. India uses 7,000 terawatt hours (TWh) of primary energy, or 929 Mtoe (million tonnes of oil equivalent), of which renewable energy accounts for only approximately 4%. The majority of the overall energy consumption—or 1,400 terawatt hours of electricity—is used for the transportation, industrial, commercial, agricultural, and residential sectors. 85 percent of the energy consumed in India is derived from fossil fuels, mostly coal, oil, and gas. Approximately 4% of installed capacity is made up of solar and wind energy, with nuclear and hydropower making up the remaining 2.5 and 4.5 percent. Depending on the growth trajectory, the present energy consumption of 7,000+ TWh will expand 5-7 fold during the next 3-5 decades. Therefore India is planning a massive expansion of green hydrogen production in order to reduce its reliance on energy imports and transition its economy away from fossil fuels to meet its climate change goals.

On India’s 75th Independence Day, the Prime Minister officially launched the National Hydrogen Mission (i.e. 15th August 2021). The Mission aspires to make India a green hydrogen hub and assist the government in achieving its climate goals by replacing fossil fuels with Hydrogen and Ammonia. One of the key criteria for the country’s environmentally sustainable energy security is the production of these fuels, by utilizing power from renewable sources (termed as green hydrogen and green ammonia). To ease the transition from fossil fuels and fuel-based feedstocks to green hydrogen and green ammonia, the Indian government is adopting various measures and The National Green Hydrogen Mission is one of the major steps in this endeavor.

On 4th January 2023, The National Green Hydrogen Mission was authorized by the Union Cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  The Mission will have great implications, including the development of export markets for Green Hydrogen and its derivatives, the decarbonization of the industrial, transportation, and energy sectors, a reduction in reliance on foreign imports for feedstock and fossil fuels, the improvement of domestic manufacturing capabilities, the creation of job opportunities, and the advancement of cutting-edge technologies.

The initial cost of the Mission will be Rs. 19,744 crores, of which Rs. 17,490 crores will go toward the SIGHT program, Rs. 1,466 crores will be spent on pilot projects, Rs. 400 crores will be used on Research & Development (R&D), and Rs. 388 crores will be spent on other Mission components. The Mission aims to establish at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) of green hydrogen capacity annually by 2030, together with a related renewable energy capacity of roughly 125 gigawatts (GW). Also, it can potentially reduce 3.6 gigatonnes(GT) of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050 (NITI Aayog report) The planned production capacity is expected to generate over Rs.8 lakh crore in investments and more than 6 lakh clean jobs.

The Mission will promote the development of Green Hydrogen demand, as well as its production, use, and export. Two unique financial incentive mechanisms will be offered under the Mission of the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT), which targets domestic electrolyzer manufacture and green hydrogen production. According to the International Energy Agency, the global electrolyzer manufacturing capacity reached only 8 gigawatts (GW) per year in 2021. India has targeted to manufacture approximately eight to 10 times the amount at 60-100 GW of electrolyzer capacity by 2030. Additionally, the Mission will assist pilot initiatives in developing end-use industries and distribution channels. Regions that can sustain large-scale hydrogen generation and/or use will be found and developed as Green Hydrogen Hubs.

To facilitate the construction of the Green Hydrogen ecosystem, an enabling policy framework will be created. Additionally, a solid foundation for standards and regulations will be created. The Mission will also support a public-private partnership structure for research and development (R&D) called the Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership (SHIP); R&D projects will be goal-oriented, time-bound, and appropriately scaled up to generate globally competitive technologies. A coordinated skill-development program will also be implemented under this mission. 

With specific objectives, India is developing as a pioneer in the production of green hydrogen. Some of the policy’s targets include: 

• By 2035, oil refineries must use green hydrogen to replace 30% of the fuel they currently use, up from just 3% in 2025. 
• By 2035, the manufacture of fertilizers should use 70% green hydrogen, up from 15% in 2025.
• Green hydrogen should make up 15% of the fuel volume in urban gas distribution networks by 2035, up from 5% in 2025.
• According to the European Commission’s July 2020 hydrogen policy, the cost of hydrogen derived from renewable resources ranges from $3 per kg to $6.55 per kg, whereas the cost of hydrogen derived from fossil fuels is roughly $1.80 per kg. The cost to produce green hydrogen in India is about Rs 500 per kg. Through its policy actions, the government hopes to cut the price of producing green hydrogen by 40–50%.

Why is India Focusing on Hydrogen Fuel Cells rather than EVs?

Everything, including factories, power plants, and automobiles, can run on hydrogen.  Compared to electric vehicles (EVs), hydrogen-powered vehicles offer certain benefits. It is lighter than air, safer than gasoline, and simpler to maintain. They have a 300-mile range and only need 5-10 minutes to refuel (just like any conventional vehicle). That is, a hydrogen station can fill up 400 vehicles in a day in just 10 minutes. While Tesla’s fast chargers (with 120 kW) can charge batteries to 80% capacity in 30 minutes, it may take 4 or 8 hours for the BMW i3 or Nissan Leaf to reach full capacity and have a range of roughly 100-200 miles, and charging takes 45 minutes. In cold conditions, the EV range decreases. However, hydrogen-powered vehicles do not.

In terms of energy loss, no matter what kind of vehicle is being driven, there will be an energy loss. Given that electric vehicles draw their power straight from the grid, it is natural to presume that they would not fall under this category. However, the driving system of an electric car still loses between 15% to 20% of its energy. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine loses energy at a rate that is far higher—between 64 and 75 percent. Fuel cell vehicles lose between 40% and 60% of their energy, despite the fact that technology is fast developing and efficiency levels are rising (California Hydrogen Business Council ).

Similar to EVs, hydrogen cars have a propulsion system that uses hydrogen energy that is converted to electricity via a fuel cell. When deciding whether electric vehicles (EVs) or hydrogen cars are better for the environment, it is critical to evaluate how electricity or hydrogen fuel is produced. Only when an electric vehicle is fuelled by renewable energy sources like solar and wind can it claim to be totally CO2 emission-free. In a similar vein, only green hydrogen generated by electrolysis driven by sustainable sources of energy like solar and wind would imply that driving a hydrogen automobile is genuinely clean.

In terms of safety, hydrogen gas is highly flammable as the gas burns in the air at concentrations ranging from 4 to 75 percent. While lithium-ion batteries used in EVs are substantially safe from fire risk but once there is fire, it is not possible to extinguish the fire fastly as it generates extreme heat.

In conclusion, hydrogen-powered automobiles provide more sustainability primarily because there is no need for extensive long-term mining or large-scale battery waste/recycling, as well as because of their storage capacity, zero emissions, and developing green product development. Customers that purchase Hydrogen cars also benefit from a number of advantages, including considerably quicker filling times compared to electric vehicles and quieter operation due to less fuel cell vibrations. They also have additional cutting-edge technology installed to boost efficiency, such as regenerative braking systems that collect the energy lost during braking and store it in batteries. Since they offer convenience and environmental sustainability, they are a desirable alternative.