Green Hydrogen Production in India: Scaling-up Alkaline Electrolyzer technology

Table of Contents

Green Hydrogen Production in India- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways, etc.;
- Science and Technology- Developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

Recently, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has collaborated with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to scale-up Alkaline Electrolyser technology for Green Hydrogen production.
- Presently, Electrolyser Plants are imported.
This is a first-of-its-kind initiative to support the country’s commitment to achieve renewable energy targets and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Present Mechanism:
- Refineries use large quantities of Hydrogen for de-sulfurization to make petrol, diesel and other chemicals.
- Currently, Hydrogen is made at the Refinery via. Steam Reforming of Natural gas, but this results in high CO2 emission.
Proposed Mechanism:
- To limit CO2 emissions, Refiners are setting up large-scale electrolyzers to produce Green Hydrogen from water and thereby decarbonize Hydrogen production.

Sustainable Growth: Green hydrogen production will help in reducing pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, hence, supporting green and sustainable development.
Promoting Atmanirbhar Bharat: BPCL’s collaborated with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for producing green hydrogen by scaling up Indigenous Alkaline Electrolyser Technology is another important step towards “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
Supporting Net Zero Emissions by 2040: Green Hydrogen Production in the country is another important step that will India achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2040.

Combusting one kilo of hydrogen releases three times more energy than a kilo of gasoline and produces only water.
Hydrogen fuel cells, which is electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, has only water as a waste product.
Fuel cells can produce electricity continuously for as long as hydrogen and oxygen are supplied.

National Hydrogen Mission (NHM): launched on India’s 75th Independence Day, the National Hydrogen Mission aims to make India a global hub for the production and export of green hydrogen.
Hydrogen-CNG busses: the government has already rolled out 50 buses that use H-CNG as its fuel.
National Hydrogen Portal: It is a one-stop information source for research, production, storage, transportation and application of hydrogen across India.
- Link of National Hydrogen Portal- Greenhydrogen-India.com.