In a significant move towards enhancing India's green hydrogen ecosystem, the government has launched a detailed study to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and reliability of transporting green hydrogen through dedicated pipelines from renewable energy zones to ports .
This step is seen as part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on traditional transmission lines and explore cost-efficient alternatives for domestic consumption and export .
"We are considering two options for green hydrogen transport. One is transferring power from renewable energy zones such as Rajasthan to port areas through transmission line and the other is using a pipeline network," said Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). He informed that a team comprising GAIL, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), NTPC, and CEA is examining these possibilities, given the challenges posed by large-scale transmission lines .
The ministry of power and the petroleum and natural gas regulatory board (PNGRB) indicated it was assessing the feasibility of using the country’s existing natural gas pipelines for hydrogen transport by blending it with natural gas. India has an authorized natural gas pipeline network of around 33,000 km, with 24,000 km operational ,providing a potentially vast infrastructure for green hydrogen transport.
The government is also focusing on addressing policy and regulatory bottlenecks while framing a roadmap for green hydrogen development until 2040.
The move to explore green hydrogen pipeline transport comes at a time when India is pushing forward with its ambitious energy transition goals. The government aims to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030, with green hydrogen playing a key role in that transition.