GREEN HYDROGEN

SIGNIFICANCE OF GREEN HYDROGEN

    1. Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The primary reason for developing green hydrogen is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and           mitigate climate change. The use of fossil fuels for transportation and electricity generation is a major contributor to global emissions.

• Green hydrogen, produced from renewable sources, emits zero greenhouse gases, making it a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy source.

2. Energy Security and Independence: Fossil fuels are a finite resource, and their prices can fluctuate due to global supply and demand. By developing renewable energy sources like green hydrogen, countries can become more energy-independent and less vulnerable to price shocks and supply disruptions.
3. Creating New Industries and Jobs: The development of green hydrogen can create new industries and jobs, particularly in the renewable energy sector. The production, storage, and distribution of green hydrogen require specialized expertise and infrastructure, which can generate employment opportunities. 
4. Decarbonizing in Sectors that are Difficult-to-Decarbonize: The potential to substitute fossil fuels with green hydrogen is significant, especially in sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, such as heavy industry and aviation. These sectors contribute significantly to global emissions, and the use of green hydrogen can help reduce their carbon footprint.
5. Technological Advancements: The development of green hydrogen can drive technological advancements and innovations in various sectors. The production, storage, and distribution of green hydrogen require new technologies and infrastructure, which can spur the development of new materials, processes, and systems.

USES OF GREEN HYDROGEN

1. Agriculture Sector: Green hydrogen has the potential to replace traditional fertilizers in agriculture through the production of ammonia using renewable energy sources. Green ammonia produced with the help of green hydrogen is carbon-free, green ammonia has other benefits over traditional fertilizers, including improved efficiency and reduced soil acidity.

2. Green Hydrogen-Powered Farm Machinery: Farm machinery like tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems require a lot of energy to operate.  Green hydrogen-powered farm machinery can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while still delivering the power required to carry out essential farm tasks.
3. Green Hydrogen for Water Management: Green hydrogen can be used to power desalination plants that convert saltwater into freshwater, reducing our reliance on scarce freshwater resources.
4. Industrial Processes:  It can replace fossil fuels in industries like steel manufacturing and ammonia production.
5. Transport Sector: Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles produce zero emissions, making them an attractive alternative to gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. They have a longer range than battery electric vehicles and can be refueled them more convenient for long-distance travel.
6. Reduction in Waste: Green hydrogen production can be done using waste materials like municipal solid waste and agricultural waste. This can help to reduce waste and promote sustainable development.
7. Increase in Energy Efficiency: Green hydrogen can be used to power fuel cells, which are more energy-efficient than traditional combustion engines. This can help to reduce energy consumption.

IMPLICATIONS OF  GREEN HYDROGEN

1. Reduced Carbon Emissions: Green hydrogen can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, making it a key component of efforts to combat climate change.
2. Energy Security: It can enhance energy security by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and increasing reliance on domestic renewable resources.
3. Economic Opportunities: The hydrogen economy can create jobs and foster innovation in clean energy technologies.

INDIA AND GREEN HYDROGEN

• Under the Paris Agreement of 2015, India is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 33-35% from the 2005 levels.
• In order to become energy independent by 2047, the government stressed the need to introduce green hydrogen as an alternative fuel that can make India the global hub and a major exporter of hydrogen.
• It will benefit India’s transportation sector (which contributes 1/3 of India’s greenhouse-gas emissions), iron and steel and chemical sectors.
• Hydrogen energy can provide impetus to India’s aim to decarbonize by 2050 and attain 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022.
• The energy in 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of hydrogen gas contains about the same as the energy in 1 gallon (6.2 pounds, 2.8 kilograms) of gasoline.

NATIONAL HYDROGEN MISSION

• The Union Budget for 2021-22 has announced a National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM) that will draw up a road map for using hydrogen as an energy source. The initiative has the potential of  transforming transportation.
• It was launched on August 15, 2021, with a view to cutting down carbon emissions and increasing the use of renewable sources of energy.
• NHM initiative will capitalize on one of the most abundant elements on earth (Hydrogen) for a cleaner alternative fuel option.
• It will have a specific strategy for the short term (4 years) and broad strokes principles for the long term (10 years and beyond). 
• Aim: It aims to develop India into a global hub for manufacturing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies across the value chain. 
• Toward this end, a framework to support manufacturing through suitable incentives and facilitation aligned with Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat will be developed.
• The Mission and the green hydrogen sector will give us a quantum jump in meeting our climate targets.
• The target is to make India a green hydrogen hub, and this will also lead to a clean energy transition.
• High dependence on import of energy: India is not energy independent. It spends over Rs 12 lakh crore on importing energy. 

Sub schemes

• Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT): It will fund the domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and produce green hydrogen.
• Green Hydrogen Hubs: States and regions capable of supporting large scale production and/or utilization of hydrogen will be identified and developed as Green Hydrogen Hubs.
• Production of 5 MMT (million metric tonne) per annum with an associated renewable energy capacity addition of about 125 GW (giga watt) by 2030.

ADVANTAGES

1. Stored for a long period: The intermittent nature of renewable energy, especially wind, leads to grid instability. Green hydrogen can be stored for long periods of time. The stored hydrogen can be used to produce electricity using fuel cells. 
2. Emissions Reduction: Green hydrogen can help reduce carbon emissions.
3. Energy Independence: It can reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports.
4. Economic Growth: The hydrogen sector can create jobs and economic growth.
5. Flexible carrier: Hydrogen is a flexible energy carrier and can be used for many energy applications like the integration of renewables and transportation. 

CHALLENGES

1. High Production Costs

• Currently, the production of green hydrogen is more expensive than hydrogen produced from fossil fuels.
• This is because the process of electrolysis, which is used to produce green hydrogen, requires a large amount of electricity, and the cost of renewable electricity is still relatively high in India.

2. Lack of Infrastructure

• There is currently a lack of infrastructure in India for the production, storage, and distribution of green hydrogen.
• This includes a lack of hydrogen refuelling stations and pipelines for transporting hydrogen.

3. Limited Adoption

• Despite the potential benefits of green hydrogen, there is currently limited adoption of this technology in India.
• This is due to a lack of awareness and understanding of green hydrogen among the general public, as well as a lack of incentives for businesses to switch to this technology.

4. Economic Sustainability

• Extraction of green hydrogen is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry for using hydrogen commercially.
• For transportation fuel cells, hydrogen must be cost-competitive with conventional fuels and technologies on a per-mile basis.