Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced on Wednesday that India’s Hydrogen Age has begun, with the country targeting 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen production by 2030, which would account for 10 per cent of the global market.
Puri said the price of green hydrogen is expected to fall below $3 per kg from the current $3.5 per kg.
“If prices come down, India can adopt green hydrogen on a much larger scale, which will help reduce our import dependence. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Bharat is building a trusted hydrogen hub — fuelling growth, exports, and a cleaner future,” the minister added.
According to official estimates, at a price of $2.5 per kg, India could replace $150 billion in energy imports.
Puri said around 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of green hydrogen capacity is planned, starting with 42,000 tonnes per annum tenders, which will be scaled up to 170,000 tonnes per annum. In the pilot phase, 37 hydrogen-powered vehicles will be launched along with nine refuelling stations.
The minister also noted that 19 companies have been awarded a combined capacity of around 9 lakh tonnes per annum (TPA).
The National Green Hydrogen Mission, launched on January 4, 2023, with an outlay of Rs. 19,744 crore up to FY 2029-30, aims to help India become self-reliant through clean energy and inspire the global clean energy transition. The mission is expected to significantly decarbonise the economy, reduce fossil fuel imports, and position India as a leader in green hydrogen technology and markets.
Public sector power giant NTPC is setting up a state-of-the-art Green Hydrogen Hub Project at Pudimadaka near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, with an investment of Rs 1.85 lakh crore. The project, implemented by NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL), is the first Green Hydrogen hub under the National Green Hydrogen Mission and is designed to help India achieve its net-zero emission target.
The NGEL Green Hydrogen Hub will include 20 GW of renewable energy capacity, making it one of India’s largest integrated green hydrogen production facilities, with a production capacity of 1,500 TPD of green hydrogen and 7,500 TPD of green hydrogen derivatives.
–IANS
