The National Green Hydrogen Mission envisions India to be a leading manufacturer and a major hub for green hydrogen in the world. However, India lacks the necessary infrastructure and some of the key technologies that are needed to realise these goals. India does not produce green hydrogen at a commercial stage at present and lacks several raw materials (critical minerals) that are required to manufacture electrolysers. It does not inherit an effective hydrogen transportation and storage infrastructure and does not have additional/excess renewable energy infrastructure for green hydrogen generation.
A functioning hydrogen economy requires a lot of additional infrastructure, which is expensive. Hence, we need a framework that prioritises hydrogen demand centres throughout the country. This will pave the way for the strategic utilisation of raw materials and infrastructure, thereby tapping into India’s fullest potential for clean hydrogen production and making us self-reliant.
Because the entire infrastructure around a hydrogen economy is relatively expensive today, a hierarchical approach is necessary to prioritise hydrogen usage across various sectors. It can help identify key sectors where hydrogen can have a significant impact while recognising areas where other alternatives may be more beneficial.
The Hydrogen Applications Segmentation and Hierarchy (HASH) framework presents a comparable endeavour for India, which is still in its nascent phase in establishing a hydrogen ecosystem. The aim is to determine the sectors where hydrogen applications can be prioritised and those where alternative solutions can be explored.
