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PM Narendra Modi announces National Hydrogen Mission on the 75th Independence Day.
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He also draws focus on a mix of a gas-based economy, ethanol mixed petrol and electric mobility.
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Indian Railways is also moving towards 100 per cent electrification.
On the 75th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally announced the launch of National Hydrogen Mission to push plans to generate carbon-free fuel from renewables. He also has set a target of 2047 for India to achieve self-reliance in energy.
In his speech, he stated that India can achieve self-reliance in energy through a mix of a gas-based economy, blending 20 percent ethanol in petrol and moving towards electric mobility.
For India to become energy independent, it needs to increase the usage of natural gas by setting up a network for supply of CNG and piped natural gas across the country, blending 20 percent ethanol in petrol and also adopting electric mobility, conveyed PM Modi. “India has to take a pledge that it will be energy independent by the year we celebrate 100th year of Independence,” he added.
He also said that the nation has achieved the target of 100 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity ahead of the set target. A PTI report stated that the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is working on technology to develop hydrogen-spiked compressed natural gas or H-CNG.
PM Modi mentioned that India is 85 per cent dependent on imports for meeting its oil needs. Overseas supplies make up roughly half of the local requirement for natural gas. India spends over ₹12 lakh crore on energy imports every year, Prime Minister shared.
In the speech, after the announcement of the National Hydrogen Mission, he said that he wants to make India a global hub for production as well as export of green hydrogen. “Green hydrogen will give India a quantum jump in achieving its targets,” he asserted.
The government is also aiming to substitute some oil with one that is produced from sugarcane and other bio-materials. It is looking to supply petrol mixed with 20 percent ethanol by 2023-24, increasing it from its current status of eight percent. It also wants to raise the share of natural gas in the economy to 15 per cent by 2030 from the current 6.2 percent.
Prime Minister Modi also mentioned that India is moving towards electric mobility. Out of the target of setting up 450 gigawatts of electricity generation capacity from renewable sources by 2030, India has already achieved 100 GW ahead of schedule, he added. The report informed that the Indian Railways is also moving towards 100 percent electrification.
Source: PTI
