India is Betting Big on Green Hydrogen: New & Renewable Energy Secretary, at ICGH-2023 Press Conference – EQ Mag
A press conference was held on the sidelines of the three-day International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2023) to highlight India’s significant investment in green hydrogen and its transformative impact on the country’s energy landscape. Shri Bhupinder S Bhalla, Secretary of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, emphasized the conference’s comprehensive coverage of the entire green hydrogen ecosystem, including production, storage, mobility, utilization, distribution, infrastructure, and transportation. The objective of ICGH 2023 was to learn from the experiences of other countries leading the development and deployment of green hydrogen.
Dr. Ashish Lele, Director of the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, emphasized the evolving nature of green hydrogen and the conference’s aim to bring together key stakeholders to discuss important themes in the sector. He highlighted the indigenous technologies showcased at ICGH-2023, including the fuel sim technology exhibit developed collaboratively by DRDO, L&T, and KPIT.
Dr. SSV Ramakumar, Director (R&D) of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), expressed satisfaction with the conference’s achievement of exploring avenues for boosting green hydrogen through the sharing and learning of international best practices. He announced IOCL’s plan to launch 15 fuel cell-driven buses in Delhi this year, with routes connecting Faridabad-Delhi, Delhi-Agra, and future extensions to cities such as Baroda-Kevadia and Trivandrum-City Centre.
Regarding skill development and employment, panelists stressed the need to upskill and reskill existing energy personnel to meet the changing requirements of the rapidly evolving green hydrogen sector. Efforts are underway by academic associations, private universities, and organizations like India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) to design special courses and skilling programs. The Ministry of Skill Development & Education is also working on a policy to provide hands-on training in various aspects of the green hydrogen ecosystem.
In response to a question about demand projections for green hydrogen by 2030, Shri Bhalla stated that India aims to produce 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030, with 70% earmarked for exports and the remaining 30% for domestic consumption. Five priority sectors, including fertilizer, refinery, long-haul mobility (with pilots already in place in industries such as steel, shipping, and long-haul transportation), have been identified for green hydrogen applications.
The three-day conference witnessed over 2,700 registrations and featured participation from over 135 speakers, including representatives from countries such as Japan, Australia, Africa, and the European Union. The conference included seven plenary sessions, four panel discussions, and 16 technical sessions. A separate CEO roundtable, chaired by Shri R K Singh, Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, provided an opportunity to explore the potential opportunities in India’s green hydrogen ecosystem. Additionally, closed-door country roundtables were organized with Singapore, Korea, Japan, and the EU to discuss collaboration potential for mutual benefit.
