“India with a population of approximately 1.3 billion is the second most populous country and the third largest economy in the world. The country’s total primary energy supply has a composition of coal 44.3%, oil 25.3%, bioenergy and waste 21.12% natural gas 5.8%, hydro 1.4% nuclear 1.1% and solar 0.4%. India’s per capital energy consumption stands at 30% of the world average, and its energy system is largely dependent on fossil fuels i.e., coal for power generation, oil for transport and industrial sector and biomass for residential heating and cooking.
As the world’s third largest consumer of oil, India is heavily dependent on imports. Its energy demand is likely to double and electricity demand triple by 2040. With the rise, the major impact will be on environment. The energy sector is considered to be a major source of atmospheric contamination and in turn is responsible for change in climate. In view of this, there is a dire need to look for non carbon based energy.
As one of the cleanest fuels with zero carbon emission, hydrogen has shown a ray of hope against climate change. It has high energy content per unit mass, that is three times higher than gasoline. It is being used for energy application with suitable fuel cells. Coking coal in steel plants is being replaced with hydrogen to get rid of CO2.
India is uniquely placed to produce hydrogen not only for its own needs but it could well become a global export hub, due to the availability of cheaper renewable energy.
There are, however, several challenges which India faces with respect to technology, storage, transportation, new materials development, electrolysis development, safety standards and regulatory regime.
We are pleased to receive support from NITI Aayog, Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, TERI, India Hydrogen Alliance, Greenstat Norway, Gexcon Norway, Arena H2 Cluster Norway and several Ministries of the Govt. of India, for the ‘International Climate Summit 2021: Powering India’s Hydrogen Ecosystem’.
Eminent global speakers on hydrogen representing the entire value chain will join to discuss various issues, which shall be useful for developing programmes and strategies, specific for India. Experts from academia, industries, and policy makers at a common platform is important for faster development of hydrogen energy.
We at PHDCCI suggest the need for an ‘International Hydrogen Alliance’ on the lines of ‘International Solar Alliance’ for rapid introduction of hydrogen energy for various applications, as no single company or country can offer solutions for the entire value chain in hydrogen.
India also needs Centres of Excellence at various Universities with the support of Industry and knowledge partners for capacity building.”
