India to Partner with European Hydrogen Week 2024

India has been announced as the exclusive partner for the European Hydrogen Week, set to take place in November 2024. This announcement was made on the second day of the International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2024), held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The partnership underscores India’s commitment to aligning with EU green regulations to enhance its export potential in the green hydrogen sector.

Key Highlights from ICGH-2024

India-EU Collaboration

 The event emphasized India’s role in adhering to EU green regulations to facilitate export growth. A Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed between Chane Terminal of the Netherlands and ACME Cleantech of India for ammonia import terminals, marking a significant step in international collaboration.

Global Perspectives

 Sessions included insights from the EU, Australia, and the Netherlands on green hydrogen. The EU session, led by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary of the Ministry of Power, and Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe, discussed green hydrogen’s pivotal role in global decarbonization. The EU is focused on reforming its Emission Trading System (ETS) to support hydrogen as a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

Challenges and Opportunities

 Pankaj Jain, Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, highlighted the importance of international collaboration to overcome challenges in hydrogen technology, including regulatory frameworks, storage solutions, and large-scale renewable energy access.

Netherlands’ Strategy

 Dr. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, provided an overview of the Netherlands’ strategy for hydrogen advancements. Notable participants included Han Feenstra, Mark-Simon Benjamins, and HE Ms. Marisa Gerards.

Youth Engagement and Innovation

Youth Session

Shri Ajay Yadav, Secretary of MNRE, encouraged the youth to take leadership roles in the green hydrogen sector. Professor Ajay K. Sood highlighted the sector’s potential to create significant employment opportunities by 2050.

Inspirational Addresses

Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal and other panelists underscored the importance of sustainability and innovation. The youth session featured a discussion on the role of young leaders in climate action and sustainability.

GH2Thon Hackathon

The hackathon, showcasing innovative solutions for green hydrogen technology, saw Nandlal Gupta from IIT Bombay as the winner. The event also included a national poster competition and over 100 stalls featuring the latest in green hydrogen technology.

International Collaboration and Strategic Dialogues

Roundtables: The conference featured Country Roundtables on Singapore & South Korea and an industry roundtable for the India-US Hydrogen Taskforce, fostering deeper international cooperation and strategic dialogues.

Organizers and Partners

The ICGH-2024 is organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Department of Science and Technology, and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and EY are the implementation and knowledge partners, respectively, while FICCI is the industry partner.