Green Hydrogen: on a surging demand and a pivotal factor for RE

by Protima Venugopal
by Protima Venugopal

Content Creator

I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which constitute it, used singly or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light, of an intensity of which coal is not capable.

In the wake of countries gearing up to be ahead in the decarbonization race, the focus on green hydrogen as a sustainable energy source is amplified. Green Hydrogen is a bi-product of electrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen through renewable energy and is considered  renewable and used in many industries. It is indispensable for maintaining the 2’C limit necessary for a greener planet.
Green Hydrogen’s ascent paved the way for an alternative source of energy imperative for a cleaner and greener planet.
The recent surge in investments in Renewable energy has expedited investments in Green Hydrogen. To add fuel to the fire, supply-chain disruptions shook the reliance on some countries for fossil-fuel supply. A world that continuously adapts to changes in demands is diverting its funds towards this alternative energy source.
This article highlights the industrial use of Green Hydrogen, global GH projects, the latest investments, and the vision and scope of the business landscape in this vital RE component in India and on a global level.

Industrial use of Green Hydrogen

Green hydrogen is the most effective way to decarbonize the energy sector and achieve Net Zero emissions. 
Combined with Nitrogen it produces Green Ammonia that boosts organic farming

About 3.8 million hectares of land in the country are dedicated to organic farming. Organic farming covers 0.6 million hectares under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), 0.1 million hectares under Namami Gange Programme, 0.4 million hectares under BPKP (Natural Farming), and 2.6 million hectares under National Program for Organic Production (NPOP).

Amplifying Green Hydrogen production would boost organic farming and help India to export good quality products on a larger scale. 
Green hydrogen can be compressed and stored in tanks and channeled into Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) and is an alternative to producing a renewable source of electricity instead of fossil-fuel-based electricity.

Global Green hydrogen projects

Stakeholders in the Renewable Energy sector have already started producing and planning Green Hydrogen production for a greener planet. Massive production of this zero-carbon gas can save the world from carbon emission hassles. Of the 552 mega-scale Hydrogen projects planned between 2021-2030, 43 are giga-scale. Some of these gigawatt-scale Green Hydrogen projects are listed below in order of electrolyzer capacity.

Name of green Green hydrogen projectsGoalLocation
HyDeal Ambition (67GW) 3.6 million tons of Green Hydrogen using 95GW of solar energyWestern Europe
Reckaz (30GW)3 million tons of Green Hydrogen using 45GW of solar and wind energyCentral and Western Kazakhstan
Western Green Energy Hub (28GW)3.5 million tons of Green Hydrogen garnering 50GW of solar and wind energySouth-East and Western Australia
Aman (16-20GW)1.7 million tons of Green Hydrogen utilizing 30 GW of wind and solar energyMauritania (Africa)
Asian Renewable Energy Hub (14GW)1.75 million tons of Green Hydrogen utilizing 16GW of coastal breeze and 10GW of solar energyPilbara, Western Australia
Global Companies leading investment and production of green hydrogen

Realizing its potential and effectiveness against global warming, Green Hydrogen has attracted lofty investments from some of the companies with a superlative presence in the business landscape.

The leading e-commerce giant, Amazon, revealed plans to invest $2 billion in electrolyzers through its Climate Pledge Fund.

Three leading companies committed to mass-scale production of Green Hydrogen, hydrogen refueling stations, and electrolysis facilities globally.


Shell PC though primarily an oil company, has invested massively in green hydrogen. It’s Rhineland refinery has an annual production of about 1300 tons of green hydrogen. Its China-based hydrogen plant has a capacity to produce 20MW of green hydrogen and aims to supply hydrogen to a larger market globally.


Linde, a UK-based company, has more than 200 hydrogen refueling stations globally and is building a 24MW Green Hydrogen plant in Norway and a 200MW plant in Lingen, Germany. Its Leuna-based Hydrogen plant with a 24MW electrolyzer can produce 3200 tons of green hydrogen annually in 2022.

Air Products and Chemicals
Air Products and Chemicals is a leading essential gas production company for 80 years. It is developing a 2GW green hydrogen plant in Saudi Arabia with a capacity of 650 tons of Green Hydrogen production per day in the year 2026.

A glimpse into India’s recent investments in Green Hydrogen

With positive progress in the RE sector since the Paris Agreement and substantial global investments, many Indian conglomerates have massively invested in Green Hydrogen projects. The government has also calculatedly incentivized the renewable energy sector propelling Indian and foreign RE companies to consciously fund this sector.

What happens when companies shift their leading investments in the Renewable Energy sector? The answer is inevitable! A better environment, employment generation, achievement of a collective goal, and positive collaboration amongst nations for a better world.


Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL) pledges to invest $50 billion jointly with TotalEnergies, France in the next ten years.

Reliance India Limited (RIL) commits to investing $10 billion in the next three years


Larsen & Toubro (L&T) announced its plan for $2.5 billion in green energy

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to invest a consi by 2030.derable amount in green hydrogen production worth 5 million tonnes


NTPC Limited pledged to invest about $30 billion by 2032 in non-fossil fuels partly allocated for Green Hydrogen.

Recently, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways tweeted about Green Hydrogen being India’s future. He also inaugurated the pilot project of Toyota, Toyota Mirai which is a hydrogen powered vehicle. He announced plans to launch larger vehicles like buses and trucks powered by hydrogen in the near future. Relying on this cheaper and alternative fuel would substantially reduce transportation costs within the country.

Conclusion

The allocation of funds and the stark shift of focus is towards Green Hydrogen and Green energy. With so much scope for Green Hydrogen projects in the Renewable energy sector and rising demand for energy on a global scale, the answer to the traditional-energy crisis is evident. The rising climate consciousness also beckons this focus shift and the future looks promising with Green Hydrogen as a key decarbonization method.

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