Matter is 75% Hydrogen, the most abundant chemical element in the universe. In the context of the planet Earth, Hydrogen is not a direct or a primary source of energy but is produced using a chemical reaction, that is, it is an energy vector. Hydrogen is used as raw material in various industrial or metallurgical processes and as fuel, with a rider that it cannot be obtained from nature in its pure state. This is a big rider and therefore the concept of green misses out, thereby limiting its mass uses. The very method utilized to obtain Hydrogen determines whether that Hydrogen is clean, sustainable fuel or not.
The option to overcome this limitation is Green Hydrogen or Sustainable Hydrogen, obtained by a process or technique that does not produce harmful pollutant emissions. According to the Paris Agreement, greenhouse emissions need to reach Net Zero by 2050, if we have to limit global warming to less than 1.5oC. This future alternative can help humanity achieve global decarbonization and fulfill the commitments made for 2050 in the fight against climate change. With reference to Bharat, producing and using Green Hydrogen will help us achieve aatmanirbharta and act as motivation for the transition to clean energy.
WHAT IS HYDROGEN FUEL AND WHAT IS GREEN HYDROGEN?
The common belief that Hydrogen is a renewable fuel is not at all true. Hydrogen can be called renewable only if the process of synthesizing it is renewable or green. There are three basic mechanisms for producing hydrogen—molecular transformation, gasification, and water electrolysis. Based on these mechanisms and the sustainability involved in the production process, manufactured Hydrogen has been given a color coding. According to the color scale, the three Hydrogen types are, Grey, Blue, and Green. Grey Hydrogen is currently the cheapest to produce, most commonly used but most polluting as it is obtained by reforming fossil fuels. On the other hand, producing Blue Hydrogen is less polluting than grey but it only reduces the emissions but does not eliminate them.
The third option, the Green Hydrogen, is the cleanest and the most sustainable of all. This hydrogen is also called renewable Hydrogen, as it is obtained by the electrolysis of water. The process of production is completely green, generates no emissions, and is fuelled entirely by renewable energy. Green Hydrogen can thus be called the Fuel of Future. In the words of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, “Hydrogen is the fuel for the future and the most important way through which India can become a net exporter of energy.”
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HOW DOES GREEN HYDROGEN WORK?
Green hydrogen is thus of great importance, in the fight to manage climate change and achieve a zero pollution index. It is a big option to replace the use of fossil fuels in areas where decarbonization is difficult to achieve. Green hydrogen is manufactured by the process of Electrolysis activated by renewable processes like solar or wind. Electrolysis is the breaking down of water into oxygen and hydrogen by electrodes using an electric current. At the point when we want to transform it into energy, hydrogen stored in specific tanks is piped into a fuel cell. There it binds again with oxygen from the air to produce electricity. The only emission or by-product in the process is just water, giving us a sustainable system to produce energy.
BENEFITS OF GREEN HYDROGEN
Green hydrogen, produced through the process of electrolysis using renewable energy sources, offers several benefits. The biggest benefit is that the production of green hydrogen generates zero greenhouse gas emissions. This makes it a clean fuel alternative, particularly crucial in sectors where decarbonization is challenging, such as heavy industry and transportation.
Hydrogen can be stored and transported easily, making it a valuable tool for energy storage. It can help balance the intermittent availability of renewable energy sources like wind and solar by storing excess energy during times of low demand and releasing it when demand is high. Another advantage is that it can be used as a fuel in various sectors, including transportation (fuel cell vehicles), industry (chemical processes, refining), and power generation. Its versatility makes it a valuable option for decarbonizing sectors that are difficult to electrify directly.
Also, by providing an alternative to fossil fuels, green hydrogen helps reduce dependency on finite and environmentally harmful resources. This contributes to energy security and mitigates the risks associated with fluctuating fossil fuel prices and geopolitical tensions. Many developing countries face challenges in providing reliable and affordable energy access to their populations, particularly in rural and remote areas. Using hydrogen as a clean fuel alternative can improve air quality, especially in densely populated urban areas where air pollution from transportation is a significant concern, especially in Indian cities like Delhi, and Mumbai.
Green hydrogen production relies on renewable energy sources, which are inexhaustible and sustainable in the long term. This contrasts with conventional hydrogen production methods, such as steam methane reforming, which rely on fossil fuels and contribute to carbon emissions. By displacing carbon-intensive fuels with green hydrogen, societies can make significant strides toward meeting climate change mitigation goals outlined in international accords like the Paris Agreement. This contributes to efforts to limit global warming and reduce the impacts of climate change.
WHY SLOW ADOPTION DESPITE BEING CLIMATE-FRIENDLY?
While green hydrogen holds promise as a clean and versatile energy carrier, there are several limitations and challenges associated with its widespread adoption. One of the primary barriers to the widespread adoption of green hydrogen is its current high cost compared to hydrogen produced from fossil fuels. The cost of renewable energy sources, electrolyzers, and infrastructure for hydrogen production, storage, and distribution needs to decrease significantly to make green hydrogen economically competitive with conventional hydrogen sources.
A major economic limitation is facing competition from the existing infrastructure: Conventional fossil fuel-based infrastructure, such as natural gas pipelines and gasoline distribution networks, is well-established and widespread. Transitioning to green hydrogen would require significant investments in new infrastructure and may face resistance from industries and stakeholders invested in the existing infrastructure. Large-scale production of green hydrogen using electrolysis requires significant land and water resources, particularly for the installation of solar or wind farms and the operation of electrolysis plants. Balancing these resource requirements with other land and water uses, as well as environmental considerations, is essential for sustainable hydrogen production.
Questions have been raised regarding safety parameters as well. Hydrogen is highly flammable and can form explosive mixtures with air in certain conditions. Ensuring safe handling, storage, and transportation of hydrogen presents technical challenges that need to be addressed to mitigate safety risks. Hydrogen has low energy density by volume compared to fossil fuels, which means that large volumes of hydrogen are required to store and transport energy efficiently. This necessitates the development of specialized storage and transportation solutions, such as high-pressure tanks or liquid hydrogen carriers, which can be costly and challenging to implement at scale.
INDIA IS RACING AHEAD: NATIONAL GREEN HYDROGEN MISSION
India is a frontrunner in endeavours to reduce global warming as the country stays focused on considerably lessening its carbon impression in the next 50 years. The National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM) announced in 2021-22, is a great leap forward taken by the Government of India, to tap alternative energy sources. The National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM) aims to position India as a global leader in the development and deployment of hydrogen energy technologies, with a focus on green hydrogen.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) on 4 January 2023. The initial sanction for the Mission was Rs 19,744 crore, which included an outlay of Rs 17,490 crore for the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) program, Rs 1,466 crore for small pilot projects, Rs 400 crore for research and development, and Rs 388 crores towards miscellaneous components. One of the objectives is to make India a Global Centrepoint for the production, utilization, and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives. Aligned with the mission of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, NGHM will support a sustainable mechanism of providing clean energy and encourage the aim of switching over to clean energy.
Bharat aims to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and increase its renewable energy capacity to 500 GW. The capability is being increased to bring down the cost of production of green hydrogen to 1.5 dollars per kilogram and develop a capacity of 5 million tonnes per year by 2030. These targets will try to bring investments to the tune of Rs 8 lakh crore and help create 6 lakh jobs. Approximately 50 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum will be reduced by the year 2030. Luckily, Bharat has an advantage here due to its favourable geographical location, climatic conditions, and abundant sources of energy like wind, water, and solar.
The Indian government has announced its goal to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2070. With increasing developmental projects being launched and completed in the country, the demand for energy and resources is increasing rapidly. In the last 20 years, the use of energy has doubled and by 2030, the requirement is likely to increase by another 25 percent. As of now, Bharat imports 40 percent of its primary energy requirements, amounting to USD 90 million every year. Bharat is committed to eliminating global warming, through its concerted efforts and therefore, it is viewed as a global leader in climate change. Bharat ranks as the world’s third-largest emitter, but the visible efforts being put in by the Government of India are substantially helping in achieving the mission of reduction in carbon footprints.
The National Hydrogen Energy Mission of India represents a strategic effort to harness the potential of green hydrogen to decarbonize the economy, enhance energy security, and drive sustainable development. By leveraging India’s strengths in renewable energy and technology innovation, the mission seeks to position the country as a global leader in the emerging hydrogen economy.
GREEN HYDROGEN AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)
Green hydrogen aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations, including SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). By integrating green hydrogen into their sustainable development agendas, developing countries can make progress towards achieving these goals while addressing pressing energy, economic, and environmental challenges.
Overall, green hydrogen offers a promising pathway toward a more sustainable, low-carbon future, providing solutions to some of the most pressing environmental, economic, and energy challenges of our time.
*The writer is Professor of Chemistry, ARSD College, University of Delhi.
