Govt gives go-ahead to National Green Hydrogen Mission with Rs 19,744 crore initial outlay

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission which entails an initial outlay of Rs 19,744 crore and aims to attract a total investment of Rs 8 lakh crore which will create over 6 lakh jobs by 2030.

The mission aims to make India a global hub for production, utilisation and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives. It will enable India to become energy independent and result in the decarbonisation of major sectors of the economy

The break-up of the initial outlay for the mission includes Rs.17,490 crore for the SIGHT  programme, Rs 1,466 crore for pilot projects, Rs.400 crore for R&D, and Rs. 388 crore towards other components.  MNRE will formulate the scheme guidelines for implementation of the respective components.

According to an official statement, the mission will result in the following likely outcomes by 2030:

·       Development of green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 MMT (million metric tonnes) per annum with an associated renewable energy capacity addition of about 125 GW in the country

·       Over Rs 8 lakh crore in total investments

·       Creation of over six lakh jobs

·       Cumulative reduction in fossil fuel imports over Rs 1 lakh crore

·       Abatement of nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emissions

The mission will have wide ranging benefits- creation of export opportunities for Green Hydrogen and its derivatives; Decarbonisation of industrial, mobility and energy sectors; reduction in dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock; development of indigenous manufacturing capabilities; creation of employment opportunities; and development of cutting-edge technologies, the official statement explained.

The Mission will facilitate demand creation, production, utilization and export of Green Hydrogen.  Under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT), two distinct financial incentive mechanisms – targeting domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and production of Green Hydrogen – will be provided under the Mission.

The Mission will also support pilot projects in emerging end-use sectors and production pathways.  Regions capable of supporting large scale production and/or utilization of Hydrogen will be identified and developed as Green Hydrogen Hubs.

An enabling policy framework will be developed to support the establishment of a Green Hydrogen ecosystem.   A robust Standards and Regulations framework will also be developed.

Further, a public-private partnership framework for R&D (Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership – SHIP) will be facilitated under the Mission; R&D projects will be goal-oriented, time bound, and suitably scaled up to develop globally competitive technologies.  A coordinated skill development programme will also be undertaken under the Mission.

All concerned ministries, departments, agencies and institutions of the Central and State Governments will undertake focussed and coordinated steps to ensure successful achievement of the Mission objectives.  The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy will be responsible for overall coordination and implementation of the Mission.