India's National Green Hydrogen Mission: Ambitious Goals, Unclear Path Ahead

The National Green Hydrogen Mission Document includes funding of ₹17,490 crore for domestic producers of electrolysers and green hydrogen as part of its strategic interventions for green hydrogen transition. However, it is unclear how financing will be allocated and who is eligible. This lack of detail is concerning, considering the urgency of the energy transition.

The mission plans to develop green hydrogen hubs in regions close to refineries and fertiliser plants. However, it is important to consider the availability of water when finalising hub locations, as this is a challenging aspect.

While hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have advantages, the adoption of green hydrogen as a fuel of choice is hindered by several challenges. If the government wants to promote hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the forthcoming MNRE guidelines must include a detailed roadmap for OEMs' incentives and refuelling infrastructure development.

To finalise the roadmap for transitioning to hydrogen-based vehicles, learnings from the EV transition should be considered. Regulatory bodies will play a crucial role in developing a robust regulatory architecture, safety codes, and standards.

Scaling up green hydrogen storage and ensuring funding availability for innovative storage modes is also necessary. In the medium term, bulk green hydrogen transportation will be required. While the mission promises support for building pipelines, it is unclear whether new pipelines will be developed or existing natural gas pipelines will be retrofitted. The latter option would involve crossing regulatory hurdles and legislative amendments, which could delay the mission's targets.

Despite India's positive start, significant challenges remain in achieving decarbonisation targets. The lack of detail on incentives, regulations, and infrastructure scaling-up plans is a cause for concern, and the mission falls short of a firm commitment.