India wants to be a regional hub for green hydrogen
The prime minister last year committed to placing his country on par with more advanced economies.
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Jan. 5 (UPI) -- The government in New Delhi on Thursday said it would invest $2.3 billion to establish India as a regional hub for green hydrogen production.
Hydrogen is gaining traction during the so-called energy transition as economies of scale look to diminish the use of fossil fuels. Hydrogen is a potent energy carrier and the most abundant element in the universe, though production can be complex and expensive.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved what it called the National Green Hydrogen Mission, a $2.3 billion spending program that sees production reach 5 million metric tons per year and yield 125 gigawatts of associated clean energy by 2030.
A single gigawatt is enough to power 1 million LED light bulbs.
The government said its financial focus for green hydrogen would be on the domestic manufacturing of the processing equipment and pilot programs meant to prove its mettle.
"Regions capable of supporting large scale production and/or utilization of hydrogen will be identified and developed as green hydrogen hubs," Modi's government said.
Hydrogen production processes are described using a color spectrum. So-called grey hydrogen splits natural gas in the form of methane into the elemental components of hydrogen and carbon, with carbon escaping into the atmosphere. Blue hydrogen uses the same processes, but utilizes carbon capture and storage technology to address emissions.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraced a multi-million-dollar spending program to develop green hydrogen, an energy darling during the pivot away from fossil fuels. (Prime Minister of India's press office/UPI)
Green hydrogen substitutes water for natural gas and uses a current provided by renewable energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, with no carbon emissions.
Under its vision, India expects to avert some 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 with support from green hydrogen.
Green hydrogen is nonetheless contentious. It's expensive and still considered something of a niche technology. Opponents of the technology argue that the renewable energy used to deliver the current necessary to split water apart could be better used on the grid.
Less aggressive than its peer economies, India is working to achieve a net-zero economy by 2070, 20 years later than the goal for the U.S. economy. It continues, meanwhile, to draw on Russian fuels despite Western pressure and sanctions.
Economic growth, however, is rivaling that of Western economies, which could sink into recession this year.
India struggled for decades with high rates of poverty after gaining independence from Great Britain in 1947, though Modi last year committed to establish his country as a pivotal world player.
"The world has started searching for solutions to the problems on the soil of India," he said. "This change in the world, this change in the thinking of the world, is the result of our experienced journey of 75 years."
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