Green Hydrogen

Japan’s Panasonic claims its new pilot solar-plus-hydrogen facility marks the first attempt to create a factory powered by 100% renewables, via the full-scale use of hydrogen.

To decarbonize the cooking sector, India’s premier energy utility NTPC has partnered city gas distribution company Gujarat Gas Limited on a pilot project to supply green hydrogen-blended piped natural gas. 

IndianOil, Larsen & Toubro, and ReNew will hold an equal stake in their proposed joint venture to develop, execute and own green hydrogen assets in India. Additionally, IndianOil and Larsen & Toubro will form a JV for the production and sale of electrolyzers.

The ‘Net-Zero Industry Accelerator’ program will prioritize industries with the highest carbon footprints and assure a robust ecosystem to support a new generation of entrepreneurs as they take disruptive climate-tech innovations for industrial decarbonization from the lab to market. 

Green hydrogen cost in India could reduce by 20-30% to INR 230-240/kg with the measures announced under the National Hydrogen Policy. A further cost reduction to achieve parity with grey hydrogen by 2030 is possible, provided policymakers don’t overlook five critical areas.

Through this initiative, the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) and Hydrogen Association of India (HAI) will drive the industry response to promote indigenous manufacturing, advocate policy measures, and support pilot projects while facilitating industry-academia collaboration.

Under their clean energy partnership, both countries also agreed to cooperate in the disposal, recycling, and reclamation of valuable materials from batteries, solar panels, turbine blades, and electronics.

Scientists from the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, have shown Ni2O3 as a promising catalyst for sustained electrochemical urea oxidation reaction (UOR) to produce green hydrogen. With Ni2O3 catalyst, they found the UOR activity to be almost six times higher than with the conventional NiO. 

Ratings agency ICRA has estimated Indian green hydrogen will cost that much if produced at sites featuring clean energy generation capacity and electrolyzers. That is between 50 US cents and a dollar per kilogram cheaper than in locations where the two systems are not co-located, with the saving possible due to a reduction in open-access, intra-state grid charges.

Experts at a recent workshop by industry body India Hydrogen Alliance (IH2A) and the government thinktank NITI Aayog proposed the formation of a public-private taskforce to develop gigawatt-scale green hydrogen hubs in India. The taskforce will have participation from global funding agencies, industry and government.