New Delhi: Union minister for power and new & renewable energy R. K. Singh, emphasized the critical role of enhancing electrolyzer efficiency and exploring cost-effective alternatives for green hydrogen production during a high-level meeting on the government’s green hydrogen R&D scheme in New Delhi.
The meeting, attended by key government, academic, and industry stakeholders, aimed to consolidate efforts towards the National Green Hydrogen Mission‘s research and development objectives.
Singh highlighted the necessity of collaborative efforts among institutions to prioritize research areas that bolster the production, storage, transport, and application of green hydrogen, alongside ensuring safety and integration within the energy sector.
“Increasing efficiency of electrolyzers is a key aspect which needs to be looked into, in order to bring down the cost of green hydrogen,” Singh said, underscoring the potential of sea-water electrolysis and modifications to internal combustion engines (ICE) to accommodate hydrogen derivatives as promising research avenues.
The ministry of new & renewable energy presented over 40 problem statements across four categories – production, storage & transport, applications, and safety, cross-cutting analysis & integration – to identify priority areas for the mission’s initial R&D projects.
The meeting facilitated discussions on forming consortiums to tackle various segments of the green hydrogen value chain, with the R&D projects categorized into mission mode projects (0 – 5 years horizon), grand challenge projects (0 – 8 years), and blue sky projects (0 – 15 years), aiming to establish centres of excellence and accelerate the mission’s goals.
Attendees included representatives from the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, the Secretary and Joint Secretary of MNRE, and experts from SECI, NCL, various IITs, IISc, NISE, BPCL, IOCL, Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, DRDO, CSIR, HAI, BHEL, BARC, and the private sector, who convened to strategize on advancing green hydrogen technologies.
