India's 2030 Green H2 target: 8M tons

India is making significant strides in the adoption of green hydrogen as a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Power R.K. Singh informed the Rajya Sabha about several green hydrogen pilot projects aimed at achieving 8 million tons of green hydrogen capacity by 2030. These projects include a 5 Nm3/h (normal cubic meter per hour) Green Hydrogen production project based on solar energy and electrolysis in Gurugram, Haryana, and a 6 kg per hour green hydrogen production project based on biomass gasification in IISc Bangalore. The government has also commissioned several other pilot projects for green hydrogen production.

One of the most significant pilot projects is India's only pure green hydrogen plant commissioned by Oil India in Jorhat Pump Station in Assam. The plant has an installed capacity of 10 kg per day and operates without any subsidy from the Indian government. Another notable pilot project is the green hydrogen blending project commissioned by NTPC and Gujarat Gas in the piped natural gas network of NTPC Kawas township in Surat, Gujarat. These pilot projects are set up for the production of green hydrogen and are not directly governed by the MNRE.

Green hydrogen has generated considerable interest among investors and power generators in India, with several companies investing in pilot projects to develop and scale up production technology while making it affordable and widely accessible. In line with this, the Union Cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission earlier this year with an initial outlay of ₹197.4 billion (~$2.39 billion). The mission aims to facilitate demand creation, production, utilization, and export of green hydrogen and establish a green hydrogen ecosystem.

To achieve the National Green Hydrogen Mission's targets, the Indian government has initiated several other measures such as the National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM), National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (NPACC), Green Energy Corridors, and Union Budget 2022-23. The NPACC has received an outlay of ₹18,000 crore ($2.4 billion) over five years, aiming to manufacture 50 GWh of advanced chemistry cell (ACC) batteries by 2025. Meanwhile, the Green Energy Corridors program aims to strengthen the grid infrastructure to support renewable energy generation, while the Union Budget 2022-23 has allocated ₹15,000 crore ($2 billion) to support the renewable energy sector's growth.

In addition to these initiatives, the Indian government is also focusing on the development of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (HFCV) and Hydrogen Refueling Stations (HRS) to promote the adoption of green hydrogen. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has set a target of 10,000 HFCVs and 1,000 HRS by 2023. To this end, the government has established a hydrogen task force to oversee the development and implementation of hydrogen-related initiatives.

In conclusion, India's focus on green hydrogen as a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels has gained significant momentum with the commissioning of several pilot projects and the launch of various initiatives such as the National Green Hydrogen Mission, NHEM, NPACC, Green Energy Corridors, Union Budget 2022-23, and the establishment of the hydrogen task force. With these measures in place, India is well on its way to achieving its goal of 8 million tons of green hydrogen capacity by 2030 and becoming a global leader in green hydrogen production and adoption.