Mains Marathon

• Introduction: Briefly introduce Green Hydrogen Mission.
• Body: Explain how it intends to solve energy dilemma, boost scientific endeavor and bring a new arena to boost the Indian economy.
• Conclusion: Conclude by summarizing how Green Hydrogen Mission is an important initiative for India.

Answer:

India has set its sight on becoming energy independent by 2047 and achieving Net Zero by 2070. To achieve this target, increasing renewable energy use across all economic spheres is central to India's Energy Transition. The National Green Hydrogen Mission which was approved in January 2023 aims to provide a comprehensive action plan for establishing a Green Hydrogen ecosystem and catalysing a systemic response to the opportunities and challenges of this sunrise sector.

National Green Hydrogen Mission

• It is a program to incentivise the commercial production of green hydrogen and make India a net exporter of the fuel.
• The Mission will facilitate demand creation, production, utilization and export of Green Hydrogen.
  • Green Hydrogen is produced using electrolysis of water with electricity generated by renewable energy. Green hydrogen in particular is one of the cleanest sources of energy with close to zero emission.

Significance of this Mission:

• In Solving Energy Dilemma:
  • This mission targets to produce green hydrogen capacity of at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) per annum, alongside adding renewable energy capacity of about 125 GW (gigawatt) in India by 2030.
  • It will also lead to a cumulative reduction in fossil fuel imports by over Rs 1 lakh crore and an abatement of nearly 50 MT of annual greenhouse gas emissions thus will help entail the decarbonisation of the industrial, mobility and energy sectors.
• To boost scientific endeavor:
  • Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT) component of this mission will fund the domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and produce green hydrogen thus developing indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
  • States and regions capable of supporting large scale production and/or utilization of hydrogen will be identified and developed as Green Hydrogen Hubs.
• New Arena to Boost Indian Economy:
  • It aims to entail over Rs 8 lakh crore of total investments and is expected to generate six lakh jobs thus creating employment opportunities.
  • India has a favourable geographic location and abundance of sunlight and wind for the production of green hydrogen.
  • Green hydrogen technologies are being promoted in sectors where direct electrification isn't feasible.
  • Heavy duty, long-range transport, some industrial sectors and long-term storage in the power sector are some of these sectors.
  • The nascent stage of this industry allows for the creation of regional hubs that export high-value green products and engineering, procurement and construction services.

Challenges of This Mission:

• In Nascent Stages Globally:
  • Green hydrogen development is still in the nascent stages globally and while India can take the lead in being a major producer, it doesn’t have the necessary infrastructure yet to execute all these intermediary steps.
• Economic Sustainability:
  • One of the biggest challenges faced by the industry for using hydrogen commercially is the economic sustainability of extracting green hydrogen.
  • For transportation fuel cells, hydrogen must be cost-competitive with conventional fuels and technologies on a per-mile basis.

The National Green Hydrogen Mission holds immense potential for India's energy transition. By focusing on incentives to encourage industrial users to adopt green hydrogen and developing robust supply chains and skill development programs, India can position itself as a leading producer and supplier of green hydrogen in the world.