National Green Hydrogen mission

Why in News?

• Recently, The Union Government has approved a Rs 19,744 crore National Green Hydrogen mission that aims to make India a ‘global hub’ for using, producing and exporting green hydrogen.

Highlights

• It is a program to incentivise the commercial production of green hydrogen and make India a net exporter of the fuel. The Mission will facilitate demand creation, production, utilization and export of Green Hydrogen.
• Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT) will fund the domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and produce green hydrogen.
• Developing green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) per annum, alongside adding renewable energy capacity of about 125 GW (gigawatt) in India by 2030. It aims to entail over Rs 8 lakh crore of total investments and is expected to generate six lakh jobs.
• It will also lead to a cumulative reduction in fossil fuel imports by over Rs 1 lakh crore and an abatement of nearly 50 MT of annual greenhouse gas emissions.
• It will help entail the decarbonisation of the industrial, mobility and energy sectors; reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock; developing indigenous manufacturing capabilities; creating employment opportunities; and developing new technologies such as efficient fuel cells.
• India has a favourable geographic location and abundance of sunlight and wind for the production of green hydrogen. Green hydrogen technologies are being promoted in sectors where direct electrification isn’t feasible. Heavy duty, long-range transport, some industrial sectors and long-term storage in the power sector are some of these sectors.
• The nascent stage of this industry allows for the creation of regional hubs that export high-value green products and engineering, procurement and construction services.