Why in the News?

The Indian Ministry for Clean Energy has set rules for making green hydrogen in India. These rules say how clean the hydrogen must be. They also promise to explain how to check and confirm if the hydrogen is green.

What is Green Hydrogen?

Green hydrogen is clean energy made by splitting water using renewable sources like wind, sun, and water power. It can be a big part of moving to an eco-friendly economy and fighting climate change. This hydrogen can be saved and used as fuel for vehicles, factories, and farming.

If we compare it to grey and blue hydrogen:

• Grey hydrogen is made using electricity from fossil fuels, which make harmful gases. Right now, 95% of hydrogen is made this way.
• Blue hydrogen is also made using fossil fuels for electricity, but it's made cleaner by stopping the harmful gases from going into the air using a special technology called carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Why We Should Invest in Green Hydrogen?

• Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The main reason to embrace green hydrogen is to slash greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.
• Traditional fuels used for transportation and power generation produce lots of harmful emissions.
• Green hydrogen, made from clean sources, doesn't emit any of these gases, making it a planet-friendly energy choice.
• Energy Security and Independence: Fossil fuels are running out, and their prices can go up and down because of supply and demand.
• By going for clean energy like green hydrogen, countries can be more self-reliant and not as affected by price swings and fuel shortages.
• Creating Jobs and Industries: Making green hydrogen opens up new businesses and job opportunities, especially in clean energy.
• Producing, storing, and moving green hydrogen needs special skills and infrastructure, which can mean lots of new jobs.
• The renewable energy field, for example, employed 11 million people worldwide in 2018 and is set to create over 42 million jobs by 2050, says the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
• Clean-Up Tough Industries: Some industries, like heavy manufacturing and aviation, are hard to clean up.
• They make a big mess in the environment. Green hydrogen can replace dirty fuels in these sectors and help them become cleaner.
• Boosting Technology: Developing green hydrogen forces us to come up with new ideas and technologies in lots of areas.
• Making, storing, and moving green hydrogen needs new stuff, like materials and systems which can lead to big advances in technology and how things work.

What are the Uses of Green Hydrogen?

In Agriculture:

• Replacing Fossil Fuels:
• Green hydrogen can take the place of fossil fuels in farming. It can help make ammonia, which is used in fertilizers.
• Normally, we make ammonia from natural gas, which makes harmful gases.
• Green ammonia made with green hydrogen is clean and has benefits like working better and not making the soil too acidic.
• But, making lots of green ammonia needs new technology and lots of money, so it might not happen quickly.
• Green-Powered Farm Machines:
• Big machines on farms, like tractors, use a lot of energy. Using green hydrogen to power these machines can cut down on harmful gases but still give them enough power to do their jobs.
• Water Management:
• Green hydrogen can help make saltwater into freshwater using special machines called desalination plants. This helps save fresh water.

In Transportation:

• Hydrogen Fuel Cells:
• These are like magic batteries that run on hydrogen and oxygen. They make electricity for vehicles without making any bad stuff.
• Hydrogen-powered vehicles can go far and fill up fast, which is great for long trips.

In Industry:

• Saving Money:
• We can make green hydrogen when there's extra clean energy, like when the wind is blowing strong. Then we save it for when we need it. This can lower energy costs and help the environment.
• Reliable Energy:
• Green hydrogen can be made and saved right where it's used, so it's always ready.
• This means we don't have to rely too much on the power grid, which is good for energy independence.
• Less Waste:
• We can make green hydrogen from stuff we don't want, like trash and farm leftovers. This can cut down on waste and be good for the planet.
• Using Energy Better:
• Green hydrogen can power things called fuel cells, which are more efficient than regular engines which means we use less energy, which is better for everyone.

What India is Doing to Boost Green Hydrogen?

India knows that green hydrogen can help make the country cleaner and reach climate goals. They have started many plans to make, use, and even sell green hydrogen.

Here are some important ones:

• National Hydrogen Mission: This is like a big plan to make India a leader in green hydrogen and everything that comes from it. They will also work on things like trying it out, studying it, teaching people about it, making rules, and setting goals.
• Using More Green Hydrogen: The government wants some big industries, like fertilizer and oil refining, to use a part of their hydrogen from green sources. It's kind of like how they ask electricity companies to use more clean energy.
• Green Hydrogen Centers: Special places in India are being picked where they can make a lot of green hydrogen and use it too. These places will be like hubs for all things green hydrogen.

Key Highlights of India's Green Hydrogen Standard:

• Defining Green Hydrogen: Green hydrogen in India means making hydrogen in a way that doesn't create more than two kilograms of carbon dioxide for every kilogram of hydrogen. India now joins a small group of countries with a clear green hydrogen definition.
• What's Counted: This measurement includes everything from cleaning water to making hydrogen, plus purifying, drying, and compressing it.
• Different Production Methods Included: This rule covers hydrogen made using electricity (like machines) and hydrogen made from biomass (plants).
• Nodal Authority: The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Ministry of Power is the boss that approves agencies responsible for watching, confirming, and certifying green hydrogen projects.

Challenges in Implementing Green Hydrogen:

• Cost Barrier: Right now, green hydrogen is more expensive than regular fossil fuels.
• This is because it needs special equipment and systems for production, storage, and transport, however, as technology gets better and we make more of it, the cost is likely to come down.
• Building Infrastructure: To use green hydrogen everywhere, we need a strong system in place to produce it, store it, and move it around.
• This system must also work well with our current energy setup to make the switch to green hydrogen smooth.
• Energy Storage: Green hydrogen comes from sources like the wind and sun, which aren't always available.
• We need smart ways to store extra energy when it's sunny and windy so that we have a constant supply of green hydrogen.
• Batteries and special hydrogen storage can help with this.
• Safety: Green hydrogen is a gas that can catch fire easily, so we need to be very careful when handling and storing it.
• Creating safety rules and regulations is important to make sure it's handled safely.

Way Forward

• Tackling High Costs: Green hydrogen currently costs more to produce and use than hydrogen from fossil fuels or other low-carbon sources. To address this, we should focus on developing more efficient technologies. This might involve improving electrolysis systems to use less energy or integrating green hydrogen production with renewable energy sources like wind and solar to reduce electricity costs.
• Government Support: Governments can play a vital role by implementing rules that encourage the adoption of green hydrogen. This might include tax breaks or subsidies to make green hydrogen more attractive for both producers and users.
• Building the Right Infrastructure: Green hydrogen needs its own infrastructure and supply chain. The current setup for regular hydrogen doesn't work well for green hydrogen. We need to build an efficient and cost-effective system for producing, storing, transporting, and distributing green hydrogen.
• Cooperation Among Stakeholders: Making green hydrogen happen involves many different groups, from renewable energy makers to hydrogen producers and users. They all need to work together and have consistent rules, standards, and incentives to make Green hydrogen a success.

Raising Awareness and Building Skills: Green hydrogen is still a new idea for many. We need to show people how it's good, safe, and practical in various uses. This also means training and developing the skills needed to produce and use green hydrogen effectively.