The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued a standard outlining the emission thresholds that must be met for the hydrogen produced in the country to be classified as ‘green.’

The Green Hydrogen Standard for India provides a definition of green hydrogen or Hydrogen produced using renewable sources through electrolysis-based and biomass-based production methods.

Renewable energy, in this case, also includes the one generated from renewable sources and is stored in an energy storage system or banked with the grid in accordance with the current regulations.

The Ministry has defined green hydrogen to have a well-to-gate emission, including purification, drying, and compression of hydrogen, of not more than 2 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per kg of hydrogen, taken as an average over the last 12 months.

The emission limits apply to electrolysis-based production methods, including water treatment, electrolysis, and biomass-based methods, including biomass processing, heat/steam generation, and conversion of biomass to hydrogen.

The Ministry also plans to introduce a detailed methodology for measurement, reporting, monitoring, on-site verification, and certification of green hydrogen and its derivates soon.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Ministry of Power has been appointed as the nodal authority to accredit agencies for monitoring, verifying, and certifying green hydrogen projects.

The notification is expected to bring much clarity to the industry stakeholders.

India approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission earlier this year to facilitate demand creation, production, utilization, and export of green hydrogen with an initial outlay of ₹197.44 billion (~$2.38 billion).

In June, the MNRE released a framework document outlining incentive programs for the manufacturing of electrolyzers and the production of green hydrogen within the country, with a combined financial outlay of ₹174.9 billion (~$2.1 billion).

Solar Energy Corporation of India recently invited bids to select green hydrogen producers to set up 450,000 metric tons/annum production facilities across India under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition program (Mode-I, Tranche-I).

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