New Delhi: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Friday said that India has the potential to become a green hydrogen exporter.
Speaking at the International Conference on Green Hydrogen 2023, Singh highlighted the launch of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which reflects India’s determination to address the challenges of decarbonization on its path to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2070.
Jitendra Singh emphasized India’s strong position as a global leader in Green Hydrogen production. He cited the country’s abundant renewable energy resources, low regeneration costs, and a robust research and development (R&D) ecosystem as key factors contributing to its potential in the sector.
The minister mentioned India’s comprehensive R&D framework covering various aspects of hydrogen production, transport, electrolyzer manufacturing, infrastructure support, fuel cell electric vehicles (EVs), storage, and utilization.
During his address, Singh applauded India’s efforts in combating climate change, surpassing expectations in terms of historical and per capita carbon emissions. He stressed that India is uniquely positioned to emerge as a prominent player in the production of green hydrogen.
The minister expressed his satisfaction with the positive collaboration between the private sector and academic institutions, encouraging stakeholders to harness this synergy to advance research and development in Green Hydrogen technologies.
Jitendra Singh highlighted the potential of the National Green Hydrogen Mission to generate employment opportunities through the startup ecosystem. He acknowledged India’s impressive rank as the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world, with a significant number of unicorns. The minister proposed a mechanism for proactive support from banking and finance institutions to facilitate the growth of the Indian startup system.
The minister informed the audience about the release of a draft Research and Development (R&D) roadmap for India’s green hydrogen ecosystem. He expressed his gratitude to Professor Ajay Sood, the Principal Scientific Advisor, and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for their contributions.
Singh highlighted the Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership (SHIP), a public-private partnership framework aimed at fostering R&D activities. Under this framework, a dedicated R&D fund will be created with contributions from industry and government institutions.
The R&D program under the National Green Hydrogen Mission will focus on developing globally competitive technologies in various sectors. Driven by a consortium-based approach, the program will leverage the strengths of different institutions and industries to promote collaborative research. The minister expressed confidence that the program would yield path-breaking research with significant impacts on India’s green hydrogen manufacturing sector in the coming years.
Jitendra Singh concluded his address by commending the International Conference on Green Hydrogen for providing a platform to address global challenges such as climate change. The conference facilitated discussions on the potential of green hydrogen in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors. The minister expressed optimism that the conference would foster collaboration and innovation in the pursuit of sustainable and clean energy solutions.
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Updated: 08 Jul 2023, 12:05 AM IST