CONTEXT – The government is backing trials to assess green hydrogen’s potential as a vehicle fuel, offering both significant opportunities and notable challenges

GREEN HYDROGEN AND INDIA

• Green Hydrogen: Produced from renewable sources like wind or solar through water electrolysis, green hydrogen is an environmentally friendly fuel.
• Government Support: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has allocated Rs 496 crore to support pilot projects and infrastructure for green hydrogen until 2025-26.
• Industry Focus: Major Indian vehicle manufacturers and energy companies like such as Tata Motors, Volvo Eicher, and Ashok Leyland are investing heavily in research and development for hydrogen-powered vehicles and scaling up green hydrogen production.
• Transportation Sector Impact: Hydrogen is expected to play a significant role in India’s transportation sector, offering emissions reductions, energy security, and business opportunities.
• Environmental Benefits: Green hydrogen usage can contribute to reducing pollution, meeting climate goals, and cutting fossil fuel imports.
• Global Leadership: India aims to position itself as a global leader in green hydrogen production and export, capitalizing on its potential benefits for the environment and the economy.

GREEN AND GREY HYDROGEN

• Green Hydrogen: Produced through electrolysis of water using renewable energy like solar or wind power. It’s considered virtually emission-free, using water as feedstock and emitting no carbon during consumption.
• Grey Hydrogen: Produced from natural gas with energy-intensive processes, resulting in high carbon emissions. It contrasts with green hydrogen due to its production pathway and emissions
• Green hydrogen is considered to be a virtually emission-free pathway for hydrogen production — it is ‘end-to-end’ green because it is powered by green energy, uses water as feedstock, and emits no carbon on consumption
• Except for a difference in the production pathway and emissions, green hydrogen is essentially the same as grey — or hydrogen categorised by any other colour.

TRANSPORT SECTOR SCHEME

The major objectives of the MNRE scheme include

(i) validation of technical feasibility and performance of green hydrogen as a transportation fuel

(ii) evaluation of the economic viability of green hydrogen-powered vehicles

(iii) demonstration of safe operation of hydrogen-powered vehicles and refuelling stations.

• Ministry appoints implementation agency to invite pilot project proposals.
• Selected company or consortium executes the project.
• MNRE approves viability gap funding (VGF) based on project appraisal.
• VGF amount is finalized considering project needs, merits, and feasibility.
• Executing agency must complete the pilot project within two years

HYDROGEN FUEL CELL VEHICLES (FCEV)

• Hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles use hydrogen through combustion, similar to diesel or petrol cars, but without carbon emissions.
• Hydrogen FCEVs convert stored hydrogen into electricity electrochemically, leaving water as a byproduct.
• Research indicates that burning hydrogen in ICE vehicles is less energy efficient than using it in fuel cells.
• Hydrogen FCEVs are lighter than BEVs due to the lightweight nature of hydrogen, making them suitable for heavy-duty trucks.
• Long-haul FCEVs can carry freight similar to diesel trucks, while long-haul BEVs have a weight penalty due to heavier batteries.
• Green hydrogen offers a promising alternative to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector without compromising payload capacity.

CHALLENGES

• Cost of Production: The high cost of producing green hydrogen is a major challenge, but innovation and scaling could lower costs in the future.
• Storage and Transportation Challenges: Large-scale storage and transportation of green hydrogen face significant hurdles, particularly in comparison to traditional fuels like gasoline or natural gas.
• Infrastructure and Market Readiness: Hydrogen-powered vehicles are not yet widely seen as viable alternatives, especially due to fuel costs, infrastructure development, and market complications like Shell’s recent closure of hydrogen refuelling stations.
• Cost Competitiveness: For hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to compete with battery electric vehicles (BEVs), the cost of green hydrogen needs to decrease significantly by 2030, as current prices are far higher than desired.
• Storage Technology: Developing specialized cylinders capable of safely storing high-pressure green hydrogen is crucial, as current infrastructure designed for compressed natural gas (CNG) is not suitable for hydrogen.
• Safety Concerns: Hydrogen’s flammability requires robust safety measures at refuelling stations, adding to the complexity of adopting it as a mainstream transportation fuel.
• Long-term Viability: Advances in battery technology for electric vehicles could pose challenges to the long-term viability of green hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles, particularly in terms of weight and efficiency.

CONCLUSION

India’s pursuit of green hydrogen as a vehicle fuel holds immense promise for environmental sustainability and energy independence. Government support and industry focus underscore the potential benefits, yet challenges such as production costs, infrastructure readiness, and safety concerns must be navigated. With strategic planning, technological advancements, and collaborative efforts, India aims to lead in green hydrogen production, contributing significantly to global climate goals and economic growth in the transportation sector.