This week, the government of India has issued guidelines for the use of green hydrogen in the transport sector. This would include long-range, heavy-duty trucks, heavy machinery, shipping and raw mineral manufacturing.
Dubbed the ‘National Green Hydrogen Mission’, the aim is to make India the global hub for the production, usage and export of hydrogen as a source of fuel and any possible derivatives.
The mission will be conducted in two phases beginning in the year 2023 and ending in the year 2030. A summary is as below:
Phase I – Creating demand, enabling and creating means to ensure adequate supply of Hydrogen fuel and lay down foundations for future use of Green Hydrogen
Phase II – Starting in the year 2026, it would be towards making hydrogen fuel more competitive in the market and accelerating growth of hydrogen fuel to remove dependency on fossil fuels.
So far, the government has designated Rs. 496 Crores for mobility projects among the other focus sectors for the year 2025 – 2026.
The government has already begun to identify and develop such regions that would be capable of supporting large-scale production and utilization of hydrogen fuel called Green Hydrogen hubs which have received an outlaw of up to Rs 400 Crorese for 2025 – 2026.
While we are yet to see full-fledged initiatives by auto-makers towards hydrogen-powered vehicles, the concept has been dabbled with cars such as the Hyundai Nexo which is set to debut in 2024 already having an international launch. Other variants internationally available include the Toyota Mira, BMW iX5 Hydrogen and Audi A2H2.
Stay tuned for further updates on a possible new fuel source and India’s answer to it.
