Union Minister of Renewable Energy and Power R. K. Singh informed the Rajya Sabha that the government aims to reduce a total of ₹1 trillion (~$12 billion) worth of fossil fuel imports by 2030, following the targets set under the National Green Hydrogen mission.

The minister said nearly 50 million metric tons of carbon emissions are likely to be mitigated through the production and use of green hydrogen.

In January this year, the Union Cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission with an initial outlay of ₹197.4 billion (~$2.3 billion).

Singh said the government would support the infrastructural development of electrolyzers to accelerate green hydrogen production.

He said the government would facilitate the demand creation of green hydrogen by encouraging exports and domestic utilization.

The minister added that the government has initiated efforts to launch green hydrogen pilot projects in the steel, mobility, and shipping sectors.

Recently, Union Minister for Ports and Shipping Sarabananda Sonowal said two ports on India’s east coast and one port on the west coast would be developed by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways as hydrogen hubs as part of the Green Shipping Initiative.

Earlier this year, Singh said green hydrogen will play a central role in the country’s target to reach 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030 and in developing energy storage solutions that could potentially replace lithium-ion-based batteries.

The hydrogen mission also intends to pave the way for the government to form partnerships with international research institutes to explore green hydrogen production opportunities.

Last month, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) signed a letter of intent with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems for a long-term collaboration focused on hydrogen and other clean technologies.

DST will provide the framework for cooperation in the hydrogen valley cluster projects, support activities, and facilitate resources. Fraunhofer will act as a technology partner for the hydrogen valley or cluster, providing information and access to technologies and scientific and technical experts.