GREEN HYDROGEN MISSION

1. Context

2. Hydrogen as a fuel

• Hydrogen, the most common element in nature, exists only in combination with other elements and has to be extracted from naturally occurring compounds like water (which is a combination of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom). Hydrogen is a clean molecule, but the process of extracting it is energy intensive.
• While hydrogen’s potential as a clean fuel source has a history of nearly 150 years, it was only after the oil price shocks of the 1970s that the possibility of hydrogen replacing fossil fuels came to be considered seriously. Three carmakers -Japan’s Honda and Toyota, and South Korea’s Hyundai-have since moved decisively to commercialize the technology, albeit on a limited scale. 
• The sources and processes by which hydrogen is derived are categorized by color tabs. Hydrogen produced from fossil fuels is called grey hydrogen, which constitutes the bulk of the hydrogen generated today.
• Hydrogen generated from fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage options is called blue hydrogen, while hydrogen generated using electrolyzers powered by renewable power sources is called green hydrogen.

3. Green Hydrogen Potential

• Green hydrogen has specific advantages. One, it is a clean burning molecule that can decarbonize a range of sectors including iron and steel, chemicals, and transportation. Two, renewable energy that can not be stored or used by the grid can be channeled to produce hydrogen.
• Green hydrogen is not commercially viable at present. The current cost in India is around Rs 350-400 per kg; it is likely to become viable only at a production cost of under Rs 100/kg. This is what the Hydrogen Energy Mission aims for.
• Green hydrogen could eventually potentially replace fossil fuels and fossil fuel-based feedstocks in fertilizer production, petroleum refining, steel production, and transport applications.
• The United States and European Union have already pledged incentives worth several billions of dollars for green hydrogen projects. India's Mission was first announced by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech in 2021.
• A major part of this is a proposed strategic intervention for the Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT), under which two financial incentive mechanisms targeting the domestic manufacturing of electrolyzers and the production of green hydrogen will be promoted to achieve a reduction in fossil fuel imports and abatement of annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
• The draft Mission document is likely to propose support for the production and deployment of green hydrogen, alongside a major push for hydrogen in the auto sector-R&D for fuel cell development and pilot projects for fuel cell vehicles.

4. Why India is Pursuing Green Hydrogen?

• Under the Paris Agreement of 2015, India is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 33-35% from the 2005 levels.
• It is a legally binding international treaty on climate change to limit global warming to below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels.
• At the 2021 Conference of parties in Glasgow, India reiterated its commitment to move from a fossil and import-dependent economy to a net-zero economy by 2070.
• India's average annual energy import bill is more than $100 billion.
• The increased consumption of fossil fuel has made the country a high carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter, accounting for nearly 7% of the global CO2 burden.
• To become energy independent by 2047, the government stressed the need to introduce green hydrogen as an alternative fuel that can make India the global hub and a major exporter of hydrogen.

5. Auto Sector- Fuel Cells

• Hydrogen is an energy carrier, not a source of energy. Hydrogen fuel must be transformed into electricity by a device called a fuel cell stack before it can be used to power a car or truck. A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy using oxidizing agents through an oxidation-reduction reaction. Fuel cell-based vehicles most commonly combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity to power the electric motor on board. Since fuel cell vehicles use electricity to run, they are considered electric vehicles (EVs).
• Inside each fuel cell, hydrogen is drawn from an onboard pressurized tank and made to react with a catalyst, usually made from platinum. As the hydrogen passes through the catalyst, it is stripped of its electrons, which are forced to move along an external circuit, producing an electrical current. The current is used by the electric motor to power the vehicle, with the only byproduct being water vapor.
• Hydrogen fuel cell cars have a near-zero carbon footprint. Hydrogen is about 2-3 times as efficient as burning petrol because an electric chemical reaction is much more efficient than combustion.

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