Green Hydrogen Standards for India: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has released the standards definition for Green Hydrogen in India. The definition has specified Green Hydrogen produced through both Electrolysis and Conversion of Biomass (not greater than 2 kilogram of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram of hydrogen (kg CO2 eq/Kg Hydrogen)).
POLICY & MARKET DEVELOPMENTS
- Reliance chalks out roadmap for $1/kg green hydrogen production target in India: Reliance Industries (RIL) is working towards its goal of producing green hydrogen at $1 per kilogram in India. Chairman Mukesh Ambani announced this roadmap at the company's 46th AGM. RIL plans to set up a large-scale electrolysers manufacturing facility in Jamnagar as part of its green energy initiatives. They aim to achieve 100 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2035. The facility will enable the production of green hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol. Link
- India rolls out green hydrogen production standards: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in India has introduced standards for green hydrogen production, defining it as hydrogen derived from renewable sources like electrolysis or biomass conversion, and including energy stored in storage systems. The government also specified that carbon emissions should not exceed two kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram of hydrogen produced. Detailed methodologies for measuring, reporting, and certifying green hydrogen will be provided by the ministry. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency will oversee accreditation for monitoring and verification of green hydrogen projects. Link
- Finance minister launches HSBC India's green hydrogen partnerships: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has launched two strategic partnerships with HSBC India to promote innovation in green hydrogen. These partnerships, with a total grant support of INR 15 crore ($2 million), involve collaborations with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation. The goal is to advance innovation projects that prioritize green hydrogen as a strategic alternative fuel, supporting the government's National Green Hydrogen Mission and its efforts to reduce carbon intensity and create green job opportunities. Link
- L&T and partners to invest $4 billion in green hydrogen projects: L&T (Larsen & Toubro) and its partners, Indian Oil Corporation and ReNew, plan to invest up to $4 billion (INR 32,000 crore) in their green hydrogen businesses over the next three to five years. The company has signed agreements for green ammonia and electrolyzer manufacturing projects. They are setting up a Gigawatt-scale manufacturing facility for electrolysers in India and have established the L&T Green Energy Council to promote carbon neutrality by 2040. Link
- Gautam Adani to go solo on hydrogen project as TotalEnergies might sit out: Billionaire Gautam Adani's green hydrogen project in India may proceed without TotalEnergies' equity participation, as reported by Bloomberg News. TotalEnergies had previously put its involvement in the $50 billion project on hold following a critical report by Hindenburg Research. Adani Enterprises CFO, Jugeshinder Singh, stated that they are moving forward with the project independently and at the same pace, not relying on Total's equity. The memorandum of understanding on hydrogen between Total and Adani still stands, but Total had previously agreed to buy a 25% stake in Adani New Industries Ltd. for green hydrogen projects. Link
- Hydreen ties up $2 bn for India’s green hydrogen market: Hydreen, part of HLC Holdings, is making significant investments in the Indian green hydrogen market. The company is initiating two projects in Himachal Pradesh and Kerala and has plans for five more in different states. Each plant will have a capacity of 250 MW, with a total estimated investment of $2 billion coming from European Sovereign Funds. They are also partnering to co-develop electrolyser technology for manufacturing in India. Link
- EV, green hydrogen may come under priority sector lending, Govt Official: The Indian Finance Ministry is considering including electric vehicles (EVs) and non-conventional energy, such as green hydrogen, in priority sector lending (PSL) to boost their growth. The Power Ministry has proposed this move, which will be discussed with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). PSL currently mandates that 40% of bank credit goes to economically weaker sections, including agriculture, small and medium enterprises, renewable energy, and more. Including EVs and green hydrogen in PSL would help promote their development and accessibility. Link
- Realistic green ratings needed to assess environmental impact of projects: RBI Guv: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das emphasized the need for realistic "green ratings" that accurately reflect the environmental impact of projects to prevent "green-washing" and ensure adequate funds for the developing world's green energy transition. He called for greater private financing and transparent disclosure norms to enhance green capital flows to emerging markets and developing economies. Link
- Indian refiner BPCL to spend $18.16 bln in oil, green energy over 5 years: Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL), plans to invest $18.16 billion over the next five years to grow its oil business and expand its renewable energy portfolio as it works towards a 2040 net-zero emissions goal. The investment will support projects in green hydrogen, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), as well as improving energy efficiency to reduce emissions. BPCL aims to own 1 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2025 and 10 GW by 2040. Link
- SECI to call tender for Electrolyser Manufacturing units soon: The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is set to issue tenders for building electrolyser manufacturing units to produce green hydrogen in the country. Globally, there is a growing trend in hydrogen production, with over a thousand large-scale clean hydrogen projects announced, requiring an estimated investment of $320 billion. India aims to have 25 GW of green hydrogen capacity by 2030, which accounts for roughly 11% of the global target. Scaling up is crucial to reduce hydrogen production costs to $1.5 to $2 per kg, making it competitive with grey hydrogen priced at around $3.15 per kg. Link
- Kochi hydrogen hub tender awarded to MEC Intelligence by GIZ: German development agency GIZ has awarded the tender for the Kochi hydrogen hub to research and consulting firm MEC Intelligence. This tender, issued by GIZ, aims to develop a roadmap for a green hydrogen cluster in Kochi, Kerala. The assignment is expected to be completed within five months, by December 2023. Kerala has set a target to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2040 and become a net carbon-neutral state by 2040. Link
- Mandate on green Hydrogen may be sent for Cabinet nod soon: India's Power and Renewable Energy Minister, RK Singh, has announced that a proposal to mandate the use of green hydrogen in certain industries is expected to be sent for cabinet approval. Singh expressed his desire for a larger mandate, while other ministries prefer a smaller one. The government is in discussions with various ministries to establish the mandates, which are expected to play a crucial role in domestic consumption. Link
- India's net-zero transition offers $12.7 trillion investment opportunity: India aims for a net-zero economy by 2050, offering a $12.7 trillion investment opportunity, as per BloombergNEF's New Energy Outlook: India report. Two scenarios are outlined: the Economic Transition Scenario (ETS) with substantial progress but falling short of goals, and the Net Zero Scenario (NZS) achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 through solar, wind, nuclear, energy storage, and CCS. Solar and wind capacity is set to increase 30-fold by 2050 in the NZS. Investment needs to increase by 1.7 times for the NZS, with reduced fossil fuel power investment and substantial EV deployment. Industrial emissions will be tackled with green hydrogen and CCS, with a peak in 2031 and decline by mid-2030s in the NZS. Link
- India's ONGC to invest $24.2 bln to meet net-zero emissions goal: India's leading oil explorer, ONGC, plans to invest $24.17 billion (2 trillion rupees) in clean energy projects to achieve its 2038 net-zero carbon emissions goal. ONGC aims to have 10 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030, including a 5 gigawatts solar project in Rajasthan and offshore wind energy plants. ONGC is actively seeking a partner for a 1 million tonnes per year green ammonia project. ONGC has ambitious production targets, including 10,000 barrels per day of oil from its deepwater block off India's East Coast, set to double by March next year, and a potential gas output of 10 million cubic meters a day from another block. Link
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
- India, Saudi Arabia aim for cooperation in green hydrogen: India and Saudi Arabia are in preliminary discussions about cooperating on green hydrogen, including investment opportunities, technology sharing, and joint research and development. The talks are part of a broader agreement on undersea cable grid connectivity between the two countries. India's National Green Hydrogen Mission aims for at least 5 million metric tonnes of annual production capacity by 2030, while Saudi Arabia is likely to focus on low-carbon emission technologies for clean hydrogen production. Link
- Mauritiania seeks global partnerships for green hydrogen: Mauritania is seeking financing for its green hydrogen initiatives, aiming to become a global hydrogen producer. The country faces infrastructure challenges, such as the lack of roads, power, and pipelines, hindering industry growth. To overcome these challenges, Mauritania is exploring financing mechanisms and has garnered support from the African Development Bank and the World Bank. Companies like Bp, Conjuncta, CWP Global, Total Eren, and Chariot are involved in green hydrogen projects, with room for more private players to join. Link
- Malaysia Eyes Green Hydrogen to Power Shift From Fossil Fuels: Malaysia is set to unveil a strategy to harness green hydrogen's potential, aiming to become a global export hub by 2027. The Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap is expected to be released soon. Malaysia is also focusing on renewable energy, increasing its renewable energy target to 70% by 2050 and investing heavily in sustainable transportation, including electric vehicle charging stations. Additionally, Malaysia is preparing to introduce the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Act to promote environmental responsibility among consumers and businesses. Link
- Brazil mulls tax incentives for green hydrogen projects: Brazil is considering granting tax incentives for green hydrogen production to compete with international rivals. The government's current priority is to establish a regulatory framework for green hydrogen projects. While Brazil currently has around $30 billion invested in low-carbon hydrogen projects, the focus is shifting to renewable sources like wind and solar. Tax reductions are seen as crucial for developing green hydrogen fuels for vehicles and decarbonizing transport and industry sectors. However, Brazil acknowledges it lags behind the European Union and the U.S. in offering incentives. Link
- Japan's Mitsui, others to jointly study hydrogen, ammonia supply chain in Osaka: Several Japanese companies, including Mitsui & Co, Mitsui Chemicals, IHI Corp, and Kansai Electric Power, are working together on a joint study. The study focuses on establishing a hydrogen and ammonia supply chain in the Osaka coastal industrial zone. The four collaborating companies aim to explore options for receiving, storing, and supplying ammonia. Separately, Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas, Mitsubishi Corp, and Sempra Infrastructure Partners plan to study e-methane exports from the United States to Japan, with the project involving the production of 130,000 metric tons of e-methane per year in the U.S., starting from 2030. Link
- Ethiopia, Angola to join Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance: Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance (AGHA) was formed in May 2022 by six African countries: Egypt, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, and South Africa, to drive decarbonization through green hydrogen. The alliance focuses on policy, capacity building, financing, and certification to promote green hydrogen production for domestic use and export. The addition of Ethiopia and Angola to the alliance was also announced at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. Link
- China releases first guideline on standards of hydrogen energy industry: China has released its first national-level construction guideline for hydrogen energy industry standards. The guideline establishes a standard system covering hydrogen production, storage, transport, and usage. Key goals include accelerating technical standard formulation and enhancing international standardization in hydrogen energy. The guideline complements China's existing plan for hydrogen energy development until 2035. China currently leads global hydrogen production, producing around 30% of the world's hydrogen. The country's hydrogen energy market is expected to grow significantly by 2030, reaching 43 million tons. Link
- DOE Awards $34 Million to Advance Clean Hydrogen: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding nearly $34 million to 19 research projects to advance technology for clean hydrogen production. Clean hydrogen is seen as a key tool in reducing emissions and achieving the Biden-Harris Administration's climate goals. The DOE has invested over $122 million in hydrogen-related projects since January 2021, supporting the Hydrogen Shot initiative to reduce hydrogen costs by 80% within a decade. Link