Study Launch and Panel Discussion on Green Hydrogen Standards in India

The Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF-SO) launched the “Study and Recommendations for the Development of Internationally Compatible Green Hydrogen Standards in India” report at the prestigious India Energy Storage Week (IESW) on 4 July 2024 in New Delhi. The launch was followed by a panel discussion on Green Hydrogen Certification for Export to the European Union (EU).

Prior to the launch, Mr. Krushna Kaant Gupta, Energy Advisor, IGEF, presented the findings of the study conducted by pManifold, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, and Royal Haskoning DHV on behalf of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. The study analyses existing regulations, standards, and certifications, points out the gaps in the current regulatory framework and provides recommendations for enabling a robust green hydrogen ecosystem.

India, through its National Green Hydrogen Mission, is actively pursuing to decarbonise the hard-to-abate sectors using green hydrogen and its derivatives. Additionally, India seeks to play a significant role in the global green hydrogen market, creating opportunities for exports to meet global demand.

Mr. Gupta in his presentation highlighted that to align with EU regulations for exporting green hydrogen, which classify it as a 'renewable fuel of non-biological origin' (RFNBO), India would need to meet three certification conditions: additionality, temporal correlation, and geographic correlation. He also noted that while there are approximately 31 Indian standards which need revisions, about 99 more standards still need to be adapted to match global standards. The support of regulatory bodies, standardisation bodies, and other stakeholders is crucial to develop and deploy green hydrogen technologies.

Post the presentation, the study was officially launched by Dr. Prasad Chaphekar, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), Prof. Dr. Aravind Kumar Chandiran, Associate Professor, IIT Madras, Dr. Deepak Yadav, Senior Programme Lead, CEEW, Ms. Rimali Batra, Associate Partner, DSK Legal, and Mr. Tapas Kapadia, CEO, RWE Supply & Trading India.

The panel discussion began with Dr. Chaphekar providing updates on the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM). India aims to set up green hydrogen plants by February of 2027 and even produce 5000 tonnes of ammonia by end of 2027. The panel discussion took a deep dive into India’s current regulatory framework wherein speakers Ms. Batra and Mr. Kapadia insisted on the need to align with international standards, namely the EU Delegated Acts.

Prof. Chandiran brought the discussion to an end with inputs on India’s safety standards and expansion of the local markets.

The presentation on Study and Recommendations for the Development of Internationally Compatible Green Hydrogen Standards in India can be found here.