Centre Approves ₹22 Crore Support for Green Hydrogen Startups Under NGHM

Central Government of India has approved the ₹22 crore in financial assistance for the nine startups under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM). This announcements marks the first batch of support under the mission’s dedicated ₹100 crore startup funding program which aimed at to accelerating innovation and commercialization in the green hydrogen sector.

The step comes alongside with the launch of the Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India (GHCI), it is a digital platform designed to streamline the certification and regulatory compliance.

Government Announces First Startup Funding Under Green Hydrogen Mission

Union Minister for the New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi announced the approval of ₹22 crore in support for total nine startups during a National Green Hydrogen Mission workshop which was organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

The funding is part of the mission’s ₹100 crore startup support program which seeks to encourage the innovation in hydrogen production, storage, transportation and related technologies.

Startups are also expected to play the crucial role in to developing cost-effective solutions that can help the India to become a global leader in the green hydrogen production and exports.

Green Hydrogen Certification Portal Launched

A main highlight of the event was the launch of the Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India (GHCI).

The portal has been developed to facilitate the certification and regulatory compliance under the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India.

It will help to verify that hydrogen produced within the country meets the prescribed green hydrogen standards.

The certification framework is expected to,

• Enhance transparency in hydrogen production
• Build investor confidence
• Support exports to international markets
• Ensure compliance with the sustainability standards
• Promote the development of a credible green hydrogen marketplace

As global demand for the clean hydrogen grows, certification mechanisms will plays the critical role in to ensuring market acceptance and trade competitiveness.

States Asked to Accelerate Green Hydrogen Policies

During the workshop, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi urged all the states to expedite the finalization and implementation of the green hydrogen policies.

According to government data,

• Six states have already notified the dedicated green hydrogen policies.
• Seven states have also incorporated the hydrogen provisions into existing industrial and renewable energy policies.
• Four additional states are currently finalizing their green hydrogen frameworks.

Incentives Offered by the States

MNRE Secretary Santosh Sarangi has highlighted that there are several states are introducing the incentives to encourage investment in the green hydrogen sector.

Some of the key facilitation measures includes the,

• Capital expenditure (Capex) subsidies
• Electricity duty exemptions
• Waivers on wheeling charges
• Infrastructure support
• Faster project approvals

These incentives are aimed at to reducing the project costs and making the green hydrogen production commercially viable.

Technology Is Reducing the Cost of Green Hydrogen

One of the major challenges in the green hydrogen production has been the its high energy requirement.

However, advancements in the electrolyzer technology are steadily improving efficiency.

According to Santosh Sarangi, electricity consumption for to producing one kilogram of the hydrogen has reduced significantly over time.

Alkaline Electrolyzers

In the early stages, alkaline electrolyzers required approximately 55 units of the electricity to produce one kilogram of hydrogen.

Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Technology

With the adoption of the PEM technology total electricity consumption has fallen to around 46-48 units per kilogram of hydrogen.

Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cells (SOEC)

Emerging SOEC technology is also expected to reduce the electricity usage further to approximately 38 to 42 units and with the future potential to bring the consumption down to as low as 33 units.

What Is the National Green Hydrogen Mission?

It was launched in the year 2023, the National Green Hydrogen Mission is India’s one of the flagship clean energy initiatives.

The mission has the total financial outlay of around ₹19,744 crore and it aims to establish the India as a global hub for the production, utilization and export of green hydrogen.

The primary target is to achieve at least 5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of the green hydrogen production capacity annually by the year 2030.