Green hydrogen use likely to be tracked: RE Secy

Renewables ministry to finalise tracking measures to certify end-use of green hydrogen in sectors like steel; export concessions on the table in upcoming trade negotiations.

The government is preparing a plan to track utilisation of green hydrogen and build global partnerships for exporting the fuel, the secretary to the new and renewable energy ministry Santosh Kumar Sarangi said on Thursday.

Speaking at the CII International Business Conclave on Green Hydrogen, he said traceability of green hydrogen utilisation is very important. He also said that concessions for green hydrogen export will be part of India's deliberations in trade agreements.

According to him, it is not currently possible to decipher whether steel was made using grey or green hydrogen once production is complete. "Having traceability and trackability (of green hydrogen utilisation) is important." Steel is among the sectors where a push is being made for decarbonisation across the world since it accounts for about 10% of global emissions.Sarangi said deliberations are under way with green hydrogen producers to finalise measures for identifying, tracing and tracking the final product made using green hydrogen.

These efforts are in line with National Green Hydrogen Mission launched in January 2023, with a ₹19,744 crore outlay. The overarching objective of the mission is to make India a global hub for production, usage and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives, by targeting 5 million tonnes production per annum by 2030.