With the goal to fast-track the development of hydrogen technologies in the country, India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), India’s only alliance for advanced energy storage and e-mobility has joined hands with Norwegian energy organization, Greenstat Hydrogen India (Greenstat).
As per the MoU, IESA and Greenstat will collaborate for the establishment of a Norwegian Centre of Excellence on Hydrogen in India and support the development of green hydrogen technology in the country over a period of two years.
“For India, Hydrogen presents a potential opportunity to decrease reliance on oil imports and focus on alternate energy sources. In line with the industry needs, IESA launched the MIGHT- (Mobility and Infrastructure with Green Hydrogen Technology) initiative in 2020 for supporting policies to enable use of green hydrogen in both stationery and mobility sector,” said Debi Prasad Dash, Executive Director, India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA).
Mr. Dash anticipates, the advanced chemistry cell battery manufacturing mission and hydrogen mission together, could fast-track decarbonization of grid, industrial sector, and transportation sector in India in the coming decade.
Earlier this month, Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman in the Budget 2021-22 announced the launch of National Hydrogen Mission for generating hydrogen from green power sources. While the draft of the mission is expected to be out in the next two months, the Indian government’s focus is expected to remain on five vital areas: R&D, demand creation, hydrogen’s use in the industry, creating conducive eco-system, and creating pathways so that industry can be brought on-board along with international partnerships.
In these five areas, demand creation will focus on what kind of niche products can be taken up and how effectively the fuel can be used in trucks and buses. In the industrial sector, the government is looking at hydrogen as a replacement for coke in the steel industry and making use of the fuel in the fertilizer sector. MNRE has indicated that by 2025-26, the industrial sector will be one of the major recipients of hydrogen.
In addition to the launch of the Hydrogen Energy Mission, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has been allotted INR 25 crore for research and development (R&D) in hydrogen for the current fiscal year.
Commenting on the partnership with IESA, Sturle Pedersen, Chairman, Greenstat Hydrogen India said, “Hydrogen is already a dominant part of the energy value chain worldwide; the challenge now is to revert the energy ecosystem back into its natural evolution. Renewable energy must replace fossil fuels, to preserve our habitat, and to preserve our mobility. Hydrogen is the natural energy carrier representing a vital part of the sustainable energy solution together with sustainable battery manufacturing.”
In November 2020, Greenstat entered a research partnership with TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) policy research think-tank in India. The focus of the partnership is on policy and research activities comprising - the establishment of a Norwegian Centre of Excellence on Hydrogen in India, and knowledge-sharing to support the development of hydrogen technologies in India.