The Indian pavilion attracted a large crowd at the World Hydrogen Summit 2024, which was organized in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The summit aims to bring attention to the advanced hydrogen solutions developed by various countries.
The Indian pavilion, organized by the Central Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, is making headlines as one of the largest and most impressive pavilions at the summit. The pavilion follows the general theme of Green Hydrogen and focuses on the various schemes and interventions regarding hydrogen nationwide.
The pavilion points out that India has been very serious about green hydrogen initiatives in recent years. It displays all the different hydrogen initiatives India has implemented in the last several years.
The pavilion’s focal point is the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), India’s pioneer project. The NGHM was launched by the central government in January 2023, and the government allocated a whopping budget of 19,744 crores for the mission.
The National Green Hydrogen Mission has kept 5 Million Metric Tonnes as the target production capacity of green hydrogen by 2030. Under the mission, the government has already distributed tenders worth enough to set up about 412,000 tonnes of hydrogen production capacity. Along with the production facility setup, NGHM brought about many more initiatives for the upliftment of green hydrogen in India.
The central government launched an online portal under NGHM. The portal provides comprehensive information on the National Green Hydrogen Mission and helps improve the presence of green hydrogen in India.
Under the NGHM guidelines, the government has already issued necessary instructions on using green hydrogen in various sectors, such as transport, steel, and shipping. The Department of Science and Technology collaborates to promote innovations around green hydrogen throughout the country.
Green hydrogen is widely considered the fuel of the future. It is expected to help countries like India attain a carbon-free economy in the future. The highlight of green hydrogen is that it is a clean source of energy. It is produced via processes like electrolysis powered by various renewable energy sources. As a clean energy source, green hydrogen is expected to play a vital role in combating climate change.
The government has identified the various challenges that green hydrogen will face in the coming years. High production costs and difficulty in capacity building are some common challenges that the National Green Hydrogen Mission is expected to face. Public awareness and support are crucial for making green hydrogen a popular energy resource.
Initiatives like NGHM aim to gain public support for the green hydrogen mission. The mission, despite being announced as part of the union budget 2021-22, has yet to be fulfilled. Once the targets of NGHM are met, it can surely boost India’s international image. The Indian pavilion at the World Hydrogen Summit is expected to bring enough global attention to India’s attempts to popularise green hydrogen. It also traces the government intervention on the topic and how far it has improved the companyβs energy security.
