The government is exploring ways to scale up the production and availability of green hydrogen, and is considering setting an export target towards that end, which would imply an abundant domestic supply of green hydrogen, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar has said.
The move is part of the larger commitment to solar-plus-hydrogen as the energy vision for India, and with it India could finally become an energy-abundant nation and a potential exporter, he said speaking at an industry event "H2: The Nuts & Bolts" organised by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP).
“At the moment the cost of producing green hydrogen is about $4-5 per kg, but this can be brought down significantly if we get the scale right. Some companies have already made
announcements to bring down the cost to $1 per kg. Though we have a long way to go, we will eventually get there,” he said.
He also spoke of the other steps that the government is considering, which include inducing and incentivising a shift to green hydrogen in the hard-to-abate sectors, like steel and refineries. For the transport sector — one of the biggest polluters — NITI Aayog is pushing for green hydrogen and electric mobility to come together to reduce emissions.
“With industries, the government, and academia working together, we can realise India’s vision of solar + hydrogen and bring down costs enough to make it a public good,” he said.
He also emphasised that although India currently makes up 9.9 per cent of the global grey hydrogen demand already, this is not the route that we should take. “Instead, we should take steps to shift from grey to green hydrogen,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, Paolo Frankl, Head of the Renewable Energy Division at the International Energy Agency (IEA) said that considering the need to double green hydrogen availability in the next decade, India — with its capabilities — is set to play a critical role. However, he emphasised that the entire green hydrogen supply chain, including transport and storage, should be kept in mind.
Other industry leaders who spoke atthe event include Arne Ballantine, Chief Executive Officer, Ohmium Inc; Karen Landmark, Chief Strategy Officer, Greenstat; and N Rajalakshmi, Advisor, CSTEP.
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