Green Hydrogen

Table of Content

Why in the News?

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that India will emerge as the leader of green hydrogen by taking advantage of the current energy crisis across the globe.

About Green Hydrogen

Green hydrogen is hydrogen that is produced using renewable energy sources through electrolysis
- In electrolysis, electrical current is passed to separate hydrogen from oxygen in water
Hydrogen fuel can be a game-changer for the energy security of India, which imports 85% of its oil and 53% of gas requirements
The by-product of burning hydrogen is water, making it the most environmentally friendly fuel

Application of Green Hydrogen:

Green chemicals such as ammonia and methanol can be used directly in existing applications such as fertilisers, mobility, power, chemicals, and shipping
Green Hydrogen has a low carbon footprint and can act as an energy storage option, which would be essential to meet intermittencies (of renewable energy) in the future

In terms of mobility, for long-distance mobilisations for either urban freight movement within cities and states or for passengers, Green Hydrogen can be used in railways, large ships, buses or trucks, etc
Hydrogen has the potential to be the key renewable target in supporting infrastructure as well

Why is India pursuing green hydrogen?

Under the Paris Agreement of 2015, India is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 33-35% from the 2005 levels
- India proposed a five-fold strategy known as (‘Panchamrita’ meaning the ‘five ambrosia’) for India to play its part in helping the world get closer to 1.5 degrees Celsius on the first day of the global climate meet in Glasgow
- ‘Panchamrita’ promises include:

India will get its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatts by 2030
India will meet 50 per cent of its energy requirements till 2030 with renewable energy
India will reduce its projected carbon emission by one billion tonnes by 2030
India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 45 per cent by 2030
India will achieve net-zero by 2070

At the 2021 Conference of Parties in Glasgow, India reiterated its commitment to move from a fossil and import-dependent economy to a net-zero economy by 2070
India’s average annual energy import bill is more than $100 billion and the increased consumption of fossil fuel has made the country a high carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter, accounting for nearly 7% of the global CO2 burden
In order to become energy independent by 2047, the government stressed the need to introduce green hydrogen as an alternative fuel that can make India the global hub and a major exporter of hydrogen
National Hydrogen Mission (NHM): The announcement is made in the 2021 Budget, for the launch of NHM that would enable the generation of hydrogen “from green power sources”
- The cost of Green Hydrogen manufactured through the electrolysis process is estimated to be around Rs.350 per kg. The Government plans to bring it down to Rs.160 per kg by 2029-30

Grey Hydrogen

It is the most common form of Hydrogen and is generated from natural gas, or methane, through a process called “steam reforming”

Blue Hydrogen

Hydrogen is labelled blue whenever the carbon generated from steam reforming is captured and stored underground through industrial carbon capture and storage (CSS)
Blue hydrogen is, therefore, sometimes referred to as carbon neutral as the emissions are not dispersed in the atmosphere