India sets new standards for Green Hydrogen emissions

India has introduced a national green hydrogen standard, setting a maximum emission threshold for hydrogen production to qualify as green. The standard applies to hydrogen generated through electrolysis with renewable energy or biomass gasification. The criteria dictate that green hydrogen produced in India should have well-to-gate emissions not exceeding 2kg CO₂ equivalent per kilogram of hydrogen.The standard includes guidelines for measurement, reporting, monitoring, and verification, ensuring consistent adherence. Well-to-gate covers the entire production process, encompassing feedstock, production, water treatment, electrolysis, gas purification, and hydrogen compression.The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy announced that India is among the first countries to define green hydrogen in this manner. This move supports India's ambition to become a prominent global green hydrogen producer. The National Green Hydrogen Mission, launched in January 2022, aims to achieve a production capacity of five million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of green hydrogen.India faces challenges due to rising hydrogen demand, projected to exceed 13 mtpa by 2030. Most of the current hydrogen production in the country is from fossil fuels like coal or natural gas, known as grey hydrogen. To encourage higher production, the government plans to provide funding covering up to 10% of total operating costs for green hydrogen producers.