- Engagement with India’s Diplomatic Missions: On September 25, IH2A presented at the session organized by the Ministry of External Affairs’ New, Emerging and Strategic Technologies [NEST] Division for India’s Diplomatic Missions. The discussion was chaired by Dammu Ravi, Secretary, Economic Relations, MEA. The discussion included Ambassadors from EU, Japan, Singapore, and African countries. Link
- IMEC Announcement: At the G20 Leaders’ event on the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, India along with United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union announced a new India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). IH2A released a statement welcoming this critical and historic partnership. Link
POLICY & MARKET DEVELOPMENTS
- G20: Modi, Biden announce India-Middle East-Europe Economic corridor: PM Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden jointly announced the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) during the G20 summit. IMEC aims to attract investment for infrastructure development and enhance connectivity between India, the Middle East, and Europe. It includes an Eastern Corridor connecting India to the Gulf region and a Northern Corridor connecting the Gulf region to Europe, featuring railway and ship-rail transit networks and road routes. It also includes plans for cables for electricity and digital connectivity and pipelines for clean hydrogen export along the railway route. India, the USA, Saudi Arabia, UAE, European Union, Italy, France, and Germany signed a memorandum of understanding on IMEC. Link
- India, Saudi Arabia close historic agreement on enhanced cooperation in energy sector: India and Saudi Arabia have signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement in the energy sector to enhance ties across various domains, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, hydrogen, electricity, petroleum, natural gas, strategic petroleum reserves, and energy security. The agreement promotes investments in renewable energy, hydrogen, and circular economy technologies to combat climate change through carbon capture and utilization. This agreement was formalized during the inaugural meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council and aligns with PM Narendra Modi's India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) announced at the G20 Summit, where Saudi Arabia is a key founding partner. Link
- British International Investment to invest $1 billion in India's clean energy projects: The UK's development finance institution, British International Investment (BII), aims to invest $1 billion in Indian clean energy projects by 2026 to support climate goals. Last year, BII invested over $300 million in Indian climate finance across sectors like renewable energy, electric mobility, and sustainable agriculture, bringing their Indian portfolio to $2.2 billion across over 290 businesses. Link
- India can emerge as refuelling destination for green ships: The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, RK Singh, stated that India has the potential to become a refuelling hub for green ships powered by green hydrogen. He mentioned that India is currently involved in various green hydrogen pilot projects, including those in the steel and heavy-duty transportation sectors. India aims to provide cost-effective green hydrogen or ammonia to become a refuelling hub for green ships. This involves establishing bunkers at shipyards and creating green shipping pilot programs. Link
- Tamil Nadu set to become green hydrogen research hub: IIT Madras, in collaboration with various partners through the Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster in Tamil Nadu (HVIC-TN) initiative, is working to produce cost-effective Green Hydrogen, which is currently expensive globally. This initiative involves research and development partnerships with industries to contribute to the National Green Hydrogen Mission and establish Tamil Nadu as a research hub. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is providing funding to support research, development, and demonstration activities for green hydrogen technologies. Link
- G20 declaration stresses on transparent global market for low-carbon hydrogen: The G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration emphasizes the need for a rapid transition to clean, sustainable, and equitable energy sources. It supports the establishment of transparent international markets for hydrogen produced using low-carbon technologies. Member countries commit to accelerating hydrogen production and utilization while developing harmonized standards and certification schemes. The declaration affirms the 'G20 High-Level Voluntary Principles on Hydrogen' to build a global hydrogen ecosystem benefiting all nations. Link
- Biden, Modi green light $1 billion booster for India’s RE infrastructure: India and the US are launching a $1 billion investment fund to support India's transition to green energy and emerging green technologies. The fund will receive up to $500 million from India's National Investment and Infrastructure Fund and the US Development Finance Corporation. They also intend to establish a payment security mechanism involving public and private funds to accelerate the acquisition of Indian-made electric buses, contributing to emissions reduction in the transportation sector. This partnership reflects the US's dedication to advancing climate action, stemming from discussions during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's June visit to the US. Link
- Andhra Pradesh requires $10-15 billion to achieve green hydrogen capacity of 500 ktpa by 2030: Andhra Pradesh aims to produce 500 kilo-tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030, requiring $10-15 billion in investments. The majority of these funds, about 70%, will be allocated to renewable energy infrastructure, with the remainder for electrolyzer capacity. This goal necessitates 10-15 GW of renewable energy capacity and 4-5 GW of electrolyzer capacity. Andhra Pradesh's Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia Policy 2023 outlines plans to leverage its renewable energy potential to achieve these targets. Link
- Major Indian ports attract over 20 firms for green hydrogen projects worth billions: The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) in India has received more than 20 Expressions of Interest (EoIs) from companies keen on participating in green hydrogen projects at major ports, including Kandla, Tuticorin, and Paradeep. The Ports Ministry has set a 2030 deadline for establishing green hydrogen bunkering and refuelling facilities at these ports and aims to extend these facilities to all 12 major ports by 2035. Link
- Green hydrogen for steel making in India will only catch up by 2050, says report: A report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and JMK Research states that India's plan to decarbonize its steel industry will take longer than expected, with green hydrogen becoming the primary fuel for steelmaking in the country by 2050. This delay is attributed to the need for the cost of green hydrogen to decrease and for a price penalty on carbon emissions to encourage Indian steelmakers to switch to hydrogen-based steel production. Link
- JCB’s hydrogen powered vehicles awaiting mass production: JCB, a British construction equipment company, is investing in hydrogen as the future fuel source and plans to introduce hydrogen-powered engines in India. The company has developed a hydrogen-based internal combustion engine. While it is currently in pilot use on some off-road machines in the UK, it anticipates commercial production of these engines in the UK within the next 12-18 months and plans to showcase the product in India later this year. Link
- Honeywell in talks with Indian companies to supply chemistry tech: Honeywell, the American technology firm, has announced that it has catalyst-coated membranes ready for producing Green Hydrogen in India. The company is currently in talks with undisclosed Indian manufacturers to supply this technology for green hydrogen electrolysis. Gavin Towler, Corporate Chief Scientist (Sustainability Technology) at Honeywell, revealed that the company has been developing green hydrogen technology in its labs in Chicago and Gurugram, and it aims to provide the chemistry technology to hydrogen electrolyzer manufacturers.. Honeywell has already shipped samples of the catalyst-coated membranes to multiple companies worldwide. Link
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
- Airbus, easyJet, Rolls-Royce join forces in UK on hydrogen-powered flying: Airbus, easyJet and Rolls-Royce have launched the Hydrogen in Aviation (HIA) alliance to ensure that infrastructure, policy, regulatory and safety frameworks are ready for when the first hydrogen-powered aircraft takes to the skies. Hydrogen flight is one of several technologies being explored as aviation faces a daunting task of reaching net-zero emission targets by 2050. Link
- UK and Germany sign hydrogen energy collaboration agreement: The UK and Germany have announced a new partnership to support international trade in hydrogen and accelerate the use of low-carbon hydrogen in their energy mix. The UK has committed to doubling its hydrogen production to 10 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, with at least half coming from electrolytic hydrogen. Germany is also investing in hydrogen projects, with plans to reach at least 10 GW of domestic electrolysis capacity by 2030. Link
- South Africa And Japan Unite For A Green Hydrogen Future: South Africa is actively pursuing a hydrogen-based economy, with Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr. Blade Nzimande, leading a delegation to Tokyo, Japan, to showcase the country's commitment to hydrogen energy. The visit includes a South Africa-Japan workshop and the signing of a memorandum of cooperation with Japan's METI to develop a sustainable hydrogen and ammonia supply chain. Link
- Brazil could produce green hydrogen for $2.87/kg: Sao Paulo-based consulting firm Clean Energy Latin America (CELA) has introduced a Green Hydrogen Production Cost Index tailored to various Brazilian states. This index factors in Brazil's unique characteristics, including taxation, renewable resources like solar and wind energy for electrolysis, and logistical considerations. In its inaugural release, CELA's LCoH Brazil Index indicates that it is currently feasible to produce green hydrogen in specific strategic locations within Brazil at a levelized cost ranging from $2.87/kg to $3.56/kg. With optimization and incentives, these costs could potentially drop to as low as $1.69/kg. Link
- China to control half the world's hydrogen electrolysers capacity: According to a report by the International Energy Agency, China is expected to control half the world’s installed capacity of electrolysers for producing low-carbon hydrogen by the end of 2023. China's installed electrolysers capacity has jumped significantly in the recent years, and is expected to reach 1.2 gigawatts i.e. 50% of the global capacity after having accounted for just 10% of the global capacity in 2020. Link